Bridgeton pioneer., 1916-06-08
POWERS OF
HEALTH BOARD
Law Is Defined for | ocal
Board.
FULL POWER,
DR.. J. c. Price Urges Activity and
Removal of Unsanitary
Conditions.

A letter defining the duties of a
local board of health sent out by DR..
j. c. Price, State Director of Health.
takes up the question of whether a
local board of health Should ACT only
upon complaint or should take the in
ltlative in abating nuisances danger
GUS TO the public health.
In its broader aspects the question
involves the whole attitude of a 10
cal board of health toward the per-
formance of its duties. Should a
board of health, it has been asked,
always wait to be proded into action.
or should it be alert, aggressive and
continually on the offensive in the
battle against disease? DR.. Price
takes the latter view, for he SAYS in
his letter, ut is not only the duty of
local boards of health to abate nui-
sances prejudicial to the public health
when brought to their attention, but
1t is also their duty to examine into
all nuisances and all causes of dis
ease, and to cause their removal or
abatement"
In support of this point the doctor
cites many portions of the law which
give a local board of health wide
discretionary powers in passing ordi-
nances, abating nuisances or causes
of sickness, and performing other du-
ties for the protection of the public
health 1t is pointed out also that a
board may delegate any portion OF it's
power 20 member of the board or to
an officer, to be exercised only when
the board is not in session.
In view of the broad powers grant
ed to local board of health, DR.. Price
does not believe that the legislature
ever intended for the activities of the
local boards to be restricted to the
abatement of nuisances merely upon
complaint. "On the other hand" he
says, "it is unquestionably contem-
plated that they should exercise their
broad powers to seek out and remedy
unsanitary conditions existing within
their jurisdiction, before sickness ac-
tually results therefrom." That this
is the correct view is shown by the
further provision of the law that local
hnor6c of hno1tb cl, oUa,o,i..
all causes of disease which may be
known to them or brought to their
attention.
In addition to these provisions of
the original act creating the State
and local boards of health, numerous
supplemental and amendatory acts
have greatly extended the discretion
airy powers of local boards, and have
imposed certain mandatory duties
upon them. After considering these
points at some length, DR.. Price con-
cludes that, "It is the plain duty of
a local board of health to enforce the
health laws of the State and the State
Sanitary Code; to enact and enforce
ordinances for the prevention of dis
eases and the promotion of the public
health, and any local board of health.
that fails to do these things fails to
discharge its obligations to the pub
lie, which it has created to serve"
Thus, according to Mr.. Prices view,
a local board of health is not doing
its duty if it waits for complaints to
be made before taking action. The
ideal local board of health is one to
whom no complaints are made, for
the reason that it is so active and ag-
gressive as to remove all causes for
complaint before there is opportunity
for citizens to make complaint.