Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1918-11-26
Health Board Criticized for
Methods by Citizens at
Town Meeting
EXPLAIN NEED FOR MONEY
$4,000 Likely to be sum
Turned Over to Health Board
for New Program

II apparently Is the consensus OF
opinion among taxpayers OF TINS city
that the Board of Aldermen should
grant to the Board of Health the
$4,000 which they ask for as an ap-
propriation for 1919, for they turned
out In full force and crowded the
council chamber at City Hall last
night and they were all apparently OF
the same mind; that is that health Is
the most important thing In this life
and that the Health Board should be
backed up to the fullest extent and
It is row expected that the aldermen.
whelY they make up their budget for
1919, will give the Board of Health
what they ask for.
At the end of the meeting Mr..
Bawden introduced a resolution to
the effect that the sense of this meet
ing was that the Board of Aldermen
appropriate a large enough sum of
money to carry on health work in
this city. An amendment to this was
made by A. C.1Clark to the effect that
this be a substantial increase over
what has been appropriated in the
past. There were no dissenting votes.
Mr.. Bawden asked for information
as to why the Board of Health had
specified the sum of $4,000 and
stated that he would like to hear
some member of the health board
answer this question.
President Edward Dilts of the
board said that they had gone into
details on this matter with the State
Board of Health and with the United
States Public Health Service and that
after a careful Consideration OF the
matter 1t was agreed that the small
est amount that could be used would
be $4,000.
The meeting was called to order at
8 o'clock and lasted until IL o'clock.
Alderman-at-Large Ira r. Grouse had
Arthur e. Graham, the city clerk, read
number of letters from other cities
showing how much money they gave
for health work.
Paterson. with population of 1874. :
600. gives $4,000 a year. Passic, with
$1,000 population, $4,000; Plainfield
with $4,000 people, $4,000; Mont
clair, with $4,000 people. $4,000;
Bayonne. with $4,000 people. $4,000;
Elizabeth, with SO 900 and New Bruins
wich with 10000 people, $1,000.
The clerk then said that this city
had given the Board of Health just
$4,000 last year and Alderman-at-
Large Grouse said that they would like
to hear the views of the citizens pres
ent.s
For time no one spoke and then
the Rev. William III. Bawden, pastor
of the First Baptist Church, said ne
would start the ball rolling and he did
by asking number OF questions re-
garding the matter of how the money
was to be spent and he said that az
this time he could not speak for any
ore but himself He said that health
IL an important matter and that while
1t was not known at that time whether
nd "a.
a m2tter TO be gone into carefully.
Mayor-elect Frank Dorsey made an
address following Mr.. Bawden In
which he said that he was not speak
ing as mayor-elect. but as a private
citizen and taxpayer. who had been
here all of his life. He said there
were two important matters in city.
the fiRst being its health and the sec
ond its finance. He stated that DIR.
Williar. Fl. Wolfram. whb had started
all of the upheaval here may be sim
cere In his work, but he did not like
his method of going at the work ana
that De has felt that Dr.. Wolfram's
usefulness in this city stopped the day
he came here because of his attacks
on the city and the. method he used.
The mayor-elect said he had taken
the matter of the health of this city
up with DR. Charles f. North, director
of health OF New York. City and he
had the clerk read a letter from DIR.
North. in which the doctor stated that
the real thing to do in this city or any
other city was to make a survey and
then go ahead with the appropriation.
DIR. North said his department was
willing to assist in this work here and
he would he glad to talk the matter
over with Mr.. Dorsey
In speaking about the Board OF
Health. Mr.. Dorsey said that the in
spectors of the Board of Health were
supposed to inspect but apparently
they did not inspect and that Health
Officer Wlllsev had neglected to DO
what was right when he found that
the court did not pay any attention to
him in not rcporting the matter TO
the Board Of Health and tho Board or
Aldermen. He stated that II the Board
of Health was not doing It's duty I,
was only right to clean them out or
office and aDpoint some one who
would do the proper thing.
Wayor-eiect Dorsey. in spcaking
about the work of DR.. Wolfram was
strong IN hts criticism of tho way in
which the doctor went about the work
and said he felt that one could ger
frort'nuhf m mage a.