The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1913-05-17
SAGE INVESTIGATORS
ATTACK NEWBURGH
Citizens Quietly Hear II Called
states Worst Typhoid
Town.
SCHOOLS ARE DENOUNCED
Only 800 Persons at Meeting
ut Which Protests Were
Expected.

SEwRrRuH. May l6.-Expected stormy
protests failed to come from indignant
citizens Of Newburgh at the public
meeting at Columbia Hall tonight when
Zenas H. Potter and his assistants Of
the Social Survey Of the Russell sage
Foundation, who for six weeks have
been Investigating health. school. finan-
cial and other departments OF New
burgh, read their adverse reports
against Ncwburgh's civil system.
A placard placed by the Social survey
workers In the window Of the clothing
store OF Alex Goldberg yesterday re-
manned In the window only short
while. |, announced In large letters:
NEwBCRGH Is A TYPHOID CITY.
Beneath this were statistics showing
that the typhoid percentage Of New
burgh is about ~ per cent. or twice the
percentage of any other town in the
state. while the average percentage OF
,hc State is only about IL per cent. In
the window OF the leading millinery
store. next door to Goldberg's. was Il
placard quite AS objectionable to the
citizens.
The Social Survey investigators say
kiitt Win tut chCcptioii Va NoiiV iVouiht,
citizens their Investigations from the
first have been thwarted because New
burgh did not want to hear the truth
about itself AT any rate. when Mr..
Goldberg returned from Manhattan last
nisht and saw the placard III his win
dow he hastily ordered II taken down.
Indignant Newburshers in the mean
time had protested about the placard
In the millinery shop and Mr. Stern.
the proprietor. had that one pulled
down.
At the meeting at Columbia Hall to-
night. presided over by Graham Wit
schies. Newburgh's Corporation Coun-
sci, instead OF the great mass meeting
which was expected. only about three
hundred came 10 the hail. more than
half beng women The Social Surveys
reports 40 far completed were read and
about everything IN the city came in
for condemnation. The derogatory re-
ports. however. were received In re-
sp-ctfu! silence by the small audience.
As TO financial methods. says the re-
port. Ncwburgh has so old fashioned n
method of bookkeeping that one slight
item of $4,000 IN the sinking fund IS
int.mation Of dishonesty.
1t was said also that the city spends
It's money before it gets It," or makes
out its budget IN the fall and collects the
funds the following January. instead of
reversing It's procedure in collecting
taxes and spending them.
The water department. which was
dwelt upon az one Of the chief causes
OF the typhoid. came in for especially
severe ccnsure. The Sage Foundation
investigators condemned the manage
ment OF both the souros and the water
shed The natural sanitation OF New
burgh was admitted to be good. but the
failure Of the city to improve on what
nature gave Il was said 70 be deplor-
able.
All the schools. with the exception OF
ono building recently erected. were con-
demned for lack Of foor space and air
space,
As 20 the health bureau. the survey
finds that .he ctiy's health officer gives
but one hour day to the work. whereas
he should give all his time to It, and.
Furthermore. that the city is niRgardly
In Its appropriations to the health de-
partment.
Lack Of proper handling OF the social
evil and consequent moral and physical
evils and improper supervision OF indus
tries and recreat!ons were listed. A
general purchasing agent for the city
was recommended to cut down waste.
The only department that got Il good
word. in fact was the prison system.
Here, however. the report deplored
the fact that the county has two 1ails,
one ut Goshen and the other here,
whereas one county jail would reduce
expenses And the investigators haven't
quite finished either.