Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-05-14
NEW CITY HEALTH LAWS
Public Meeting of Committees on FL
nance and General Laws Last
Night


mittee on finance and general laws Of
the City Council was held last night
in the Common Council chamber,
which lasted from 1880 until 1880
o'clock, for the purpose OF final re-
vision of the health laws. The mat
ter has been before the committee for
many months, during which time =
great deal of time and consideration
has been given to the working out OF
the various provisions in reference to
the numerous different branches of
the proposed new department of the
city government. 1t has been impos-
sible, however, to pass the law in the
form proposed because Of the conflict
with the present charter. The LegIs-
lature at the last session, however,
amended the city charter so that the
Health Board may be composed OF
a committee of council. The amend
ment will 90 into effect on June 18th,
and the committee will report the
new health law to council tonight, and
ask for its passage at once, so that 1t
may 20 into effect at the same time as
the amendment to the charter.
The thorough familiarity Of the
members of the committee with the
various provisions of the law and the
amount of labor that the committee
had evidently given to the prepara-
ton of the ordnance rcfuted the crit
icisms that have recently been direct
ed at council for failure to adopt
proper health regulations. The law
is sweeping in its provisions, and, II
properly enforced. will undoubtedly
remedy many of the evils that now en-
ist not only in the way of sanitary
conditions, but in preventing the sale
and consumption Of unwholesome food
substances. The following arc the
main features of the law:
1t provides for health officer at
salary of $500, and physician to the
poor at $500, and charges him and
the polio. department with the care
of the sanitary condition OF the city.
1t requires all food substances eN-
posed for sale to be kept in hy-proot
and dust-proof receptacles, and re-
uuires all meats to be inspected by
tho health siiccr at the time sl
slaughter.
Il provides for a board Of health,
composed Of five members Of Council,
who shall have charge Of the health
department and perform the duties
usually iscideat to local health boards.
1t provides for vaccination, auaran-
tiaQ and fumigatisn Of places and
houses where persons have been con-
fined with contagious sr infectious dis
eases.
1t provides fer the inspection Of all
dairies furnishin: milk in the city
and requires the owners Of daires to
have their cows subjected to the tu-
berculin test as prerequisite to OBJ
tanning a license to sell milk.
1t requires the Health of1icer to
keep a complete record Of all deaths
and births i. conformity to standard
laid down by the state law.
1t is believed that the ordinance will
be passed without material change
either tonight sr at the next meeting
of council.
Anon: those present at the com
mittee meeting last night were DR..
William N. Smith, Dr.. James Garvey,
Mr.. JAMES Roche, Mayor Pan, Cor
poratios Attorney Fisher, Miss Rose
Mcdonald, president Of the Antl-Iu-
berculosis Society, and Miss Fanny
Herbert. also a member Of that or
,., tinr