Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-06-05
EXPERTS SEE LITTLE
GOOD IN HEALTHBOARD
AS Forecasted in Evening Star Sage Investigator Declares in
Report to Alderman That Complete Reorganization of This
City Department NecessarySays Some Defects Serious

partnents, as told in the Star yes
terday, is advised by experts who
within the past few months have
made thorough study of local
health conditions. The report, which
was compiled by Franz Schneider, jr.,
sanitarian of the department of sur
veys and exhibits of the Russell Sage
Foundation, was presented to the
finance committee of the Common
Council last night.
The investigator says that the APP
preparation for the running expenses
of the board was by no means mig
gardly but in fact was LIBERAL but
that the money is not spent to the
hest purpose
Insofar as the department having
the control of those looking after
contagious diseases is concerned Mr..
Schneider says this department SHOULD
,be sub-divded so there would be five
or six different departmental heads
He declares that housing conditions
have been sighted and that more at
tention should be paid by the board
to the work of seeing people are prop
erly housed
Milk conditions in the city are con-
demned and the inspection of the
public market and other places where
meats OF. vegetables are sold is said
to be lax in the extreme.
Mr.. Schneider also warmly advo-
Gates the placing of the responsibility
for the keeping of a record of vita.
statistics upon the Board of Health
instead of the city clerks office. Con-
sideration of the report was laid over
for one month.
The Report.
Following is the report in part:
A clear idea of the form, of organization
Of the departments work Is not easily
obtainable. An examination in the last
published annual report Q9lD of the list
OF employees, the financial statement, and
the substance of the report itself, shows
the indications as to the number of sep
arate divisions of the department, and as
TO just what each division Includes to be
conflicting Plumbing inspection, for ex-
ample, is listed in one part of the report
as separate division, while 1t is in
cuded in the financial statement as a
part of the sanitary division. The plain
inference is that the department has no
clear idea of its own organization, and
there is abundant evidence that this or
ganization is unfortunately weak. As far
to be thirteen fairly independent branches
sof work, represented in the following:
ta) Medical inspection of parochiai
schools. tb) tuberculosis sanatorium (c)
inspector nurses for tuberculosis, Id dis
pensary, (e), district physicians, ~ bu-
reau of contagious diseases, (g) disinfect-
Ing corps th) bacteriologlcai laboratory
milk and drug inspection, tk) chemist
u meteorological I'M rabies work.
Chiefs of these divisions, in the proper
sense of the term, do not exist. In some
instances nominal heads of division have
been created-as the superintendent of
the bureau of contagious diseases, the
chief of the division of plumbing inspec-
ton and the clerk Of the sanitary division
but these men have little authority and
responsibility of their own, and are In
fact merely chief clerks, referring even
matters of trivial detail to the health Of
fcer for decision. If proper division
heads were created, endowed with, au-
thority, and subjected merely to ,educa-
ton and supervision by the health OF
fcer, the latter's time could be released
for the larger needs of the health work.
such as the study of health conditions III
the city, the formulation of constructive
policies and the prosecution of vigorous
campaigns 1t is poor economy 70 en-
eumber the highest paid man in the de-
partment with matters of detail which
could be carried by less expensive subor-
dinates. =.
The organization of the department is
sefective further in that related work Is
not properly drawn together and cor
related. The present organization Tor the
control of contagious diseases Is iilustra.
tive. One might reasonably expect that
all work against these diseases would be
under the direction of the superintendent
of the bureau of contagious diseases.
Such is not the case. me actual man,
the chief clerk of the bureau and the
4, chief of the disinfecting corps. The lat
Yer. in fact, will not take orders from the
superintendent of the bureau. The latter
actually does little but referee cases IN
which diagnosis is disputed, transcriDe
reports of contagious cases for trans,
missal to the State Board of Health, and
prepare certain statistical tables for the
annual report. With such divided RESPONSE
bility 1t is not surprising to lind that
this important branch OF the WORK IL
carried on In an unsatisfactory manner.
Ii is entirely probable that the entire
department could be adyantageously re-
organized into five or six divisions, which,
if placed in the hands of competent
chiefs would be more effective
Another serious defect in the present
form of organization relates to the board
itself The present board Is too large and
is endowed with responsibilities and
powers which should be delegated to a
competent health officer. With the recent
developments in bacteriology. and vital
statistics and with the establishment of
, great research laboratories devoted to
questions Of sanitation o,d pnprc heaith
subject, calling in its administration Tor
expert knowledge such as cannot be ex-
pected of the average citizen, or for
that matter, of the. average physician.
AS a result the experience of cities shows
more aud more that not only is board
of as many as ten unwieidy, but That
1t Is difficult or impossible to secure
such group who are sufficiently expert
to be made responsible for the progress
of the health departments policy. II
seems much wiser TO secure health
officer with special reference to training,
experience and ability in public hygiene
sponsibility. The ordinance-making power
may then be delegated to small. care
fully chosen board, which may also .ad-
wise and check the health officer. The
essential point is that it has been found
decidedly best TO employ a specialist,
giving him free hand and making him
responsible for the department. The
present Newark arrangement of large,
executive certainly does not make for
either a consistent or progressive policy.
Liberal Appropriations.
Before passing decision on the value
of the health department we must con-
slider the size of its appropriation. III
the department has been allowed only
niggardly figure, certain shortcomings are
evidently to be condoned. while, on the
other hand. II its financial treatment has
been liberal it must share heavily in the
criticism for any dehciencies, ,,.,is,oa j.,
the report for 1911. 1t appears. that the
Newark department Of public health
spent in that year $160S17. 13-a per capita
expenditure Of slightly more than 40
cents In 1912 the expenditure was some
what larger-about 49 cents per lnhaplt-
ant Compared with the health depart
ment appropriations throughout the coun-
figures recently published by the United,I
States census bureau Newark Is listedl