Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-10-20
MAYOR DEFENDS
CITY HEALTH BOARD
Says Health Affairs Are Being
Conducted on a Business
like Basis.

Mayor Harvey today anlked Every
Evening to print the following state
ment from him, which explains 1t
self:
"Mr. Bayard In a speech Mt the High
School this week as,ailcd In general
the Republican administration In city.
state and nation. In particular he re-
ferred to tho Wilmington Board Of
Health and asked IL tho citizens OF
Wilmington were proud Of II. propose
TO state a few facts in connection with
the present Board OF Health which
Mr.. Bayard has either ignored or
Ia ignorant OF.
'On May | OF this year. when the
pew Board OF Health came into office,
a secretary without any political back
ing whatever was chosen with sorne
regard for his qualifications as an
officer trained in medicine and SANTA
ton. The secretary of tho Board OF
Health ie the most important member
OF the board, as he gives his full time
TO the work, and should have an In
telligent idea OF the health needs OF
the city and OF tho vital service that
can be rendered the citizens by the
Introduction OF modern health and
sanitation methods. Heretofore, the
Office has been given by both parties,
without exception for many years, to
mon as n reward for political service
In the Judgment OF tho present ad-
ministration, u was high time for VIII
mington to follow the example Df other
cities and bring TO the solution OF It's
health problems. a trained man re-
gardle~s OF politics. Among other
things Wilmington is ono OF the three
! cities in the United States OF Its class
with the highest infant mortality rate
Leading physicians of this city were
consulted and approved the plan. Sew
eral public health officers were con-
e'dered and DIR. X. 8. McBlrnoy. O
graduate in medicine OF Syracuse
University. who served In the Medical
Corps CT the Army during the war
was chosen He has been In office
only few months, and anyone whc
wants TO know tho difference between
the present board and previous boards
can eaeily be enlightened by visi,
TO tho Office and by learning what has
already been accomplished and h,
80 ~ Funlnl
that Mr.. Bayerd and every other In.
teiiigent citizen should applaud and
be proud OF this attempt to improv,
WhmnEtons standing among tn,
cities with regard to health matters
Az for the new inclnerator. | wish
TO state that this plant was purSha SEQ
ana built after considering the merits
ana costs OF two other types of In.
Generators. and with the approval o,
Mr.. John S. Gregory, professor o
Sanitary Engineering of Johns Hon
kins University, Baltimore. one of IN,
best known experts in his line in tn,
United States, who made study o
the whole question of garbage dis
posal for this administration In th,
summer OF 1921. Mr.. McNabb vote,
Tor the purchase OF this incinerato,
and did himself credit thereby. 1t dc
ceives nobody who knows the fact,
for anyone now 10 attempt 10 MAX,
political capital out OF an unfortunat I,
situation which came TO the attentio,
OF this administration about tw,
months ago, and IL now in tho hand
or the proper legal authorities. TIL,
city's interests In the construction q
the plant were in the hands OF Mr.
Harry L. Maier. chief engineer OF IN,
street and Sewer Department. an,
ex-officio mcmMr of the Board O
Health. Everyone who knows abou
such matters says that the incincra
tor Is good one. well built and do
Ing It's work satisfactorily. l subm,
that Mr.. Bayard and every other faf
minded and intelligent citizen shoul,
applaud and be proud OF this incin
orator.
In closing let me assure Mr.. Bay
ard and every other citizen of WI
nington that a vast change has oc
Cured in the methods and in the am
biuons OF the Wilmington Board o
Health as compared with previou
boards. among others the Board O
Health in office when Mr.. lawson wa
mayor and Mr.. Bayard was city so
licitor. four years ago. submit tha
Mr.. Bayard should rejoice and b
proud as a Wilmingtonian."