The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1915-06-12
THE BOARD OF HEALTH.

WDeD the CITY auOpteu tDo
Commission Form Of Government,
y new method Of taking care OF
sanitary matters for New iberia
was written into the city's new
charter, which was formally ap
proved by the State Legislature
in the session of 1910. This new
charter provided that the duties,
which formally devolved upon q
City Board Of Health. should be
distributed between the members
Of the Commission Council and
discharged by them, as provided
for IN the Act.
The attention Of Dr. o. Dow
ling, State Health Officer, was
specially called to the require.
ments of our new charter in to.
lerably animated corret pondeDoe
between the DIR. Bowling and
Mayor Fontelieu, after which the
matter was dropped for a brief
period.
During the spring Of thls year
the smallpox broke out here,
Just ~ that plague had done in
several other towns which were
under the old laws Of the State By
authority Of paragraph No. l02 Of
the city charter, the Oity Council
appointed DR.. Oarsten to the po-
sition Of "sdvisory" City Health
Officer. notwithstanding the
fact that we stamped out the
smallpox In about as short q
time az any other place In the
State so afflicted; that under
Commission Government our
sire cts are maintained cleaner
than ever before in the history Of
the town; that the individual
premises Of our citlzens, while
they are not faultless In every In.
stance, give far less cause for
complaint on the part Of next
door neighbors; that the city now
undertakes TO sprinkle its streets
in an effort to minimize the dust
evil; that public and private
properties are kept free Of weeds;
that vast sums have been ex-
pended upon drainage, giving us
the best system ever known In
the history of this place--not
\ withstanding all these material
evidences Of a cleaner, healthier,
safer city than ever before enjoy
ed, DR.. Dowling refuses to rec
ognize any officer, in matters Of
sanitation, appointed under au
thority Of our 1910 charter.
DIR. HadIer, DR.. DowlIng's sp-
pointee, arrived here this week to
inspect the city's sanitary condi
tioD. 1t ie gathered that he will
mske q point Of pointing out the
fact that we are without sanitary
sewerage ami will offer she oiti.
zens Of this place the privilege Of
adopting either Of two systems
. sewerage system to cost t40, 900
Tor more); or, In the alternative, |
to remodel all the closets Of the
city, putting In the State approv |
ed system. This approved sys-
tenn will require the constant. at.
tentiOn Of the householder, or II
10 liable to become more offensive
than the ssoldr and tabooed meth |
cd. It will require cleaning |
about twenty six times a year.
and the night soil, Il 10 required,
shall be disposed OF BY conveying |
Il beyond the corporation limits
II IL quite clear that the sewer
age system will be the more ef
fective, and no more expensive, Of
the two. But the ability OF the
people to carry the additional
burden of It's cost ct this time 10 . |
matter OF serions consideration.
There are many email properties
-tenements--w which are not prof
table to their owners under ex
isting condition. There sre some |
or these small properties which
DO not bring In rental sufficient
TO meet the taxes, due the State
and city, pay insurance and Re
pairs-how can they be expected
to bear . greater burdeDi
A sewerage system, or its alter.
~.etv> hancnoaa nffoOfi "a IN fhe