Year: 1867

Tho Board OF Health and tho Tenement


House System.


The letter which we published yesterday
from our Consul at Queenstown to the State
Department is calculated to revive all the
anxiety that was felt last spring at the ap-
proach Of the cholera. He states that at
Whitegate, small village in Queenstown har-
Dor, there were at the date Of his letter eight
undoubted cases Of the Asiatic disease, and as
about thousand emigrants leave that port
weekly for America, he recommends the
authorities here to be on the alert.


We are not aware that the Board Of Health
have as yet taken any steps to prepare for the
coming danger. The fight over the quarantine
ground occupies, it Is true, good deal Of its
attention; but we regard that as but small
portion OF the work to be done. We believe
more in preventive measures than in pro-
visions fer q state Of things which argues more
or less the absence Of them. If the sani-
tary precautions which scientific demon
stration and our own experience have
shown to be effective are carried out on q
proper scale it will be matter Of very little
consequence where the quarantine station is to
be located II is certain that last year the
progress of the epidemic was arrested by such
imperfect regulations as the Board of Health
was induced to enforce. We all know that they
fell short OF the actual necessities Of the case,
and that SO far as the tenement houses were
concerned influence of one kind or another
was successfully exerted to defeat them.


This must not again be permitted. If the
epidemic visits us this year there is reason to
believe it will be in m aggravated form, and
it is in tenement houses that it will find
tho majority Of its victims. Of the shocking
condition of these habitations none but those
who are in the habit of visiting the poor can
form any idea Occasionally we have a reve-
lation Of it in the police reports but unfor'
tunately these do not produce much impress
sion. 1t Is only when repeated losses
Of life occur or q verdict of censure is
found by c0roner's jury, as in
the case of the Eleventh street disaster re-
corded in our paper Of Sunday, that their con-
dition elicits any notice. The facts disclosed
on that investigation are most discreditable
not only to the owner Of the house but to the
Board of Health. II we are to take them as
evidence Of the manner in which the sanitary
inspectors discharge their duties, all we can
say iaAhat it d to the mercy Of Providence, and
not to their guardianship, that we shall have TO
look for protection during the approaching
season of danger.


Before the Legislature breaks up we would
impress upon It the urgency Of providing .
corrective for the avarice and inhumanity of
the owners Of tenement houses The bill now
before it has some good points, but it may be
greatly improved. We desire to see it so
amended that il will prevent the possibility Of
colusion between the landlords and the Health
Inspectors. All tenement houses should be
licensed and subjected to regulations the vio-
lation Of which should be followed by fine,
and on the repetition OF the effence by depri-
walton Of the license. In this way protection
would be secured for the health and comfort
OF the working classes and tho city rendered
less liable to defamation by epidemics. Com
mon humanity dictates the enforcement Of
regulations OF some sort We shall lose all
claim to the character Of civilized commu-
nifty If we permit the further continuance Of
such reprehensible state Of things.