Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1916-01-27
HEALTH BOARD
WOULD PUNISH
SCHOOL BOARD
Lawsuit Against Board of Edu-
cation to Correct Plumb
ing Abuse.
MAYOR RAYMOND AGAIN
CRITICISED OVER FINANCES
Charges Against Or. Fischer of
UnprofessionaI Conduct
Are Dismissed.

Action by the Board of Health, in
the form of a lawsuit to punish the
Board of Education and Tax Com
missioner Samuel f. Wilson, who
is plumber, for violating a
health ordinance in Barringer High
School and other schools was decided
on last night by the sanitary com
mittee of the Board of Health The.
committee discovered the school au
thorties have been violating a section
of the plumbing code for the past
thirteen years, and that in 50 per
cent. of the siXty-five schools in the
city the plumbing equipment does not
conform to the sanitary requirements.
The suit to check the practice will
be recommended to the full board for
its approval before it is begun.
While discovering this mote in its
neighbor's eye, the health body ran
across Il beam, or two beams, to be
exact, in its own. 1t heard one of its
district physicians charged with un-
professional conduct, hardness III an
swering a call, and abuse of a child,
and heard a parochial school physi-
clan charged with reporting that he
was visiting a school regularly when
he never went near it, and the pupils
health was totally without safe
guard.
I'VE cant make flesh of one and
fish of another" declared Commits
sioner Cortlandt Parker, in the dis
cussion on the school board, contend
ing that it is unfair to compel apart
ment house owners to live up to re-
quirements that the school authori-
ties are allowed to violate, the more
so. Mr.. Parker held, as it is the duty
nf ha -, F.1. "A
the health of the school children.
The violation was revealed when
A. S. Lau, of the engineering divis-
ion of the construction department of
the school board, appeared to ask ap-
proval of a circular vent system
already installed in the Barringer
High School. Plumbing inspectors of
the Board of Health declared that
the plans of the proposed work had
not been filed With the department
before the work was undertaken, as
is commanded by statute. They
showed that the circular vent system
Is not permitted in Newark
The circular vent system is one in
which n number of sinks discharge
into one trap. If the resulting pres
sure damages the trap sewer gas is
released into the rooms. The system
is employed to carry off refuse from
the school chemical laboratories.
Violation Had Been Sanctioned.
Mr.. Lau stated a previous Board of
Health had permitted the violation,
and that such systems have existed
in the schools since 1897. He said
they were 80 per cent cheaper than
the individual vent system provided
for by the plumbing code.
At first the committee felt the
plumber, Mr.. Wilson, was to blame
for not having filed his plans
with Chief Plumbing Inspector
sullivan. Mr.. Parker. though,
declared that the plumber, while,
of course. guilty of this viola
tion of the rules, had in the actual
construction worked as he was di-
rected by the architect and the school
authorities, and that the blame should
not be on his shoulders alone. The
committee decided to proceed against
both the plumber and the school
authorities.
DR.. William s. Disbrow, president
of the board, felt the stand on the
enforcement of the plumbing code
should be clearly defined, and moved
that the committee hereafter enforce
the code under all conditions, per-
hitting no violations of any nature.
The motion was carried.
More Criticism for Mayor.
During a discussion of finances
which began while the committee was
planning the betterment of the paro-
chial schools medical supervision,
Mayor Thomas l.. Raymond received
more criticism because of his refusal
10 grant salary increases to health
department employees. DR.. Elmer G.
Wherry felt the board was handi-
capped in its work by lack of finances.
We can't even get money to prop
erly equip the headquarters here" he
said. IT'S just as important that we
should have a proper place to protect
the peoples health as that the mayor
should have a marble palace to work
In. Why, they're spending $4,000 for
bunting alone for the big celebration
we're going to have, and that's all we
get for the child hygiene work.
In the parochial school discussion,
DR.. Charles v. Craster, acting health
officer, declared there is imperative
need of Improvement. He said that
reports had come in from one paro-
chial school physician TO the effect
that he was making visits regularly,
and that an investigation had dis
closed he had not been near his school
once during the year.
The parochial school proposition has
been hanging fire for a long time. DR..
r. C. Webner declared. and it should
have immediate attention. We've
been laying it on the table long
enough" he told the committee. DR..
Craster urged that a start toward
correction be made, even if it were
hut part of what the members
thought was necessary. A special
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