New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-08
HIT At HEALTH BOARDS
Governors Commission Told
Rural Bodies Are inefficient.
MANY IGNORANT OF DUTIES
DR.. Bush Urges That State
Take Over Administration OF
Public Health in Towns.
fBy Telegraph TO The Tribune. :

Albany. Feb. THE way that public
health is looked after in rural communi-
tics comes far from meeting with the
ornroval Of Governor Suffers special
pubIic Health Commission. which held a
hearing to-day in the Capitol. While
hoal,h departments in the cities were gen.
erally commended. recommendations were
made for abolshing village and town
hoaltb boards. DR.. Robert p. Bush. of
cbenung County, chairman of the Ways
md Means Committee of the Assembly,
urged that the state take over the ad-
,n,nistration OF public health in rural dis
tricts
Another recommendation along this line
Nag made by DR.. Frank Overton, of
patchorue. president Of the State Health
oe1cers' Association. He would turn the
emotions of the rural health boards over
70 the town and village trustees and di-
vide the state into about twenty health
districts. the heads of which to be under
the SUPERVISION of the state Department
Of Health. He also recommended that
towns and villages levy per capita tax
of from 8 TO Is cents to be devoted to
local health funds.
Nicholas Hansen, a member OF the stan
n, the State Charities Aid Association,
who has been investigating the health
situation in Duchess County for the com
mission, told of the laxity he found IN
the administration of public health in the
rural communities. He said some or the
members Of the local boards did not know
whether they were members. although
they had been recorded as present IN the
minutes of the various meetings. Many
NJ the members did not even Kno"
vhether their towns had sanitary codes.
II WAS found that about half the towns
IN Duchess County did not have such
codes
Members Of boards OF health IN inc
county. Mr.. Hansen said, received ices
NJ s. 500 for attending meetings ana ne
illustrated the character of the service
thew performed by the minutes OF one
hoard for last year. The first meeting
the board ordered shut up some pigeons
which had been found roosting on some
mes roof. At the various meetings Ioi-
having the board did nothing but auolt
h,ns and adjourn. The bills were chiefly
Gov the members for having attended the
meetings and for the burial of cats ana
dogs According to the minutes, said MT
Hansen. the mortality OF cats and dogs
in that particular town was very large
Dr. Bush said that twenty years ago ne
Was health officer of Horseheaos ior
,b,ee wears. and at the end of his term
there was not a family in the village ex-
cent his own that would employ MIN ne
had done his duty as health ofncer' ne
sad and in doing so had made so many
enemies he could not make a living as D
physician. -,
Ex-Mayor Charles o. Duryea' OF
schenectady. advocated legislation which
would give local health officers additional
movers over the inspection OF restaurants
and the preparation and serving OF 1000
The special health commission was ap-
poin,ed by the Governor TO submit re-
nor, nv February 10. and the members
said to-day that they would have the re-
nor, ready by that time or soon AFTER
ward.