ONYENTION OF THE of the ©ittj of Ucxvr ^Jovli flCADEJVlY OF fQEDlCI^E 17 & 19 West 43d St. near Fifth Ave. r ?Ex ICtbrts SEYMOUR DURST When you leave, please leave this hook Because it has heen said " Sver'thing comes t' him who waits Except a loaned hook." Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library Gift of Si ymour B. Durst Old York Library V / OF THE LADIES HEALTH PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2014 http://archive.org/details/firstconventionoOOIadi 3 ORDER OF EXERCISES Afternoon Session, at 2.30 o'clock. Address of Welcome by the President, Mrs. M. E. Trautmann. Reading of Five Minute papers by the delegates of the various Cities. Address by the Presiding Officer, Hon. Wm. L. Strong, Mayor of the City of New York. Summary of the work of the Ladies Health Protective Association during the past twelve years, by its President, Mrs. M. E. Trautmann. Reading of Five-Minute papers on the following subjects : Stable Refuse. Written by Mrs. C c Fendler, Chairman. Read by Dr. Harriet C. Keatinge. Slaughter Houses. Written by Mrs. S. Baum, Chairman. Read by Mrs. Clara M. Williams. Gas Houses. Written by Mrs. J. N. Connor, Chairman. Read by Mrs. Mercedes Legh. School Hygiene. Written by Mrs. C. A. Errani, Chairman of the Northern and Western Division. Mrs. J. M. Fiske, Chairman of the Southern and Eastern Division. Read by Mrs. G. H. Rosenfeld. Evening Session, at 8 o'clock. 5^1 .Vi3 ^anitary Condition of Streets. By Miss T. Barcalow, Chairman. Unsanitary Feeding and Care of Cows. Written by Mrs. M. E. Schoen, Chairman. Read by MissC. Westover. 5anitary Condition of Surface & Elevated Cars & Public Buildings. By Mrs. J. de la M Lozier, Chairman. Police Matrons and Municipal Lodging Houses. Written and read by Mrs. G. H. Rosenfeld. Report on the Evils of the Bakeshops. Read by Miss Mary Phillips. Address by Hon. C. G. Wilson, President Board of Health. Address by Hon. Theodore Roosevelt, President Police Board. Address by Capt. Gibson, Deputy Commissioner of Street Cleaning Dep't. Address by Dr. Moreau Morris, Vice-President of the Mayor's Committee on People's Baths and Houses of Public Comfort. Informal Reception to Officials, Delegates and Speakers, by the Association. The Second Day will be devoted to visiting various places in the City, showing to the delegates and others interested, the work accom- plished through the efforts of the Association. 5 Reception and Refreshment Committee. Mrs. A. L. Holt, Mrs. M. J. Herbert, Miss T. Barcalow, Mrs. E. L. C. Dewey, Mrs. J. M. Fiske, Miss M. Phillips, Mrs. C. M. Williams, Mrs. M. E. Schoen, Mrs. R. H. Shainwald, Mrs. J. N. Connor, Mrs. C. A. Errani, Mrs. M. C. Meyer, Miss A. Thomas, Dr. H. C. Keatinge. Committee on Credentials. Mrs. E. L. Wakeman, Mrs. G. H. Rosenfeld. Committee on Badges. Mrs. S. Baum. Mrs. C. Fendler. Committees' Badge : Blue and Pearl Gray. Officers. President, ist Vice-President, 2d Vice-President, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer, A uditor. Mrs. M. E. Trautmann. Mrs. M. A. Newton. Mrs. E. Hermann. Mrs. G. H. Rosenfeld. Mrs. E. L. Wakeman. Mrs. M. Phillips. Mrs. J. de la M. Lozier. Board of Directors. Mrs. S. Baum, Mrs. C. Fendler, Mrs. T. Barcalow, Mrs. J. Fiske, Mrs. H. S. Bell, Mrs. A. L. Holt, Mrs. C. Errani, Mrs. M. J. Herbert. 6 c) DELEGATES, g nd Amies, Mrs Olive Pond Philadelphia. Burtis, Mrs. J. H. . Orange, N. J. Butler, Miss Mary Yonkers. Bayles, Mrs. E. M. . . Port Jefferson. Conway, Miss Clara Memphis, Tenn. Coonley, Mrs. L. M. . Chicago. Ciani, Mrs. M. . Perth Amboy. Dr. De Hart Jersey City. Dexter, Mrs. M. E. . Dorchester. Eaken, Mrs. L. D. . Chatanooga, Tenn. Elder, Miss L. Philadelphia. Gallison, Mrs. K. B. . Orange, N. J. Gilbert, Mrs. Alexander . Plainfield. Goodridge, Mrs. A. M. Flushing, L. I. Gaines, Miss Celia . Jersey City. Hall, Mrs. M. R. Montclair, N. J. Herron, Mrs. W. A. Pittsburg, Pa. Horton, Mrs. E. B. . Cranford, N. J. Luttrell, Mrs. J. M. Knoxville, Tenn. Lewis, Mrs. L. L. . Richmond, Va. Mather, Mrs. E. . . Wilmington, Del. Northrup, Mrs. A. Yonkers. Perry, Mrs. Andrew J. . . Brooklyn. Pond, Mrs. D. W. Plainfield, N. J. Plunkett, Mrs. M. . Pittsfield, Mass. Payne, Mrs. W. H. Nashville, Tenn. Richardson, Mrs. Ella Boston, Mass. Stevenson, Dr. Sarah H. Chicago. Stillman, Mrs. Frances . Albany. Smith, Dr. Julia H. Chicago. Scrimgeour, Mrs. James Brooklyn. Scribner, Mrs. A. T. Philadelphia. Schneider, Mrs. J. H. Perth Amboy. Sharman, Mrs. S. R. Yonkers. Woods, Mrs. H. H. . Erie, Pa. Woodbridge, Mrs. M. . Chester, Pa. 7 RIR.ST CONVENTION OF THR LADIES HEALTH PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION. An informal meeting was held in the library of the United Charities Building, May 14th, at eleven o'clock, after which the visiting delegates were received at the Park Avenue Hotel, where luncheon was served. After luncheon the ladies proceeded to the lecture hall in the Academy of Medicine and the formal business of the con- vention was commenced. The President, Mrs. M. E. Traut- mann in the chair, the first Vice-President Mrs. M. A. Newton occupying a seat on the platform beside her. The roll of delegates having been called, the President read her address of welcome. She said : Friends and delegates from sister cities — Our members extend you a most sincere and hearty welcome to this our first convention since we organized twelve years ago. When, in November, 1884, the little band of eleven women organized for the protection of their own homes, which were polluted with foul odors coming from a section of the city none of them were familiar with, not one of us thought the work would grow to such an extent that we would ever find it necessary to hold a convention for the interchange of thoughts and ideas. In the early days we had many discouragements, and had we realized the magnitude of the work we had undertaken, I do not think the Ladies' Health Protective Association would be in existence to-day. As it was, many fell from our ranks by the wayside, filled with despair, but he Ladies Health Protective Associa- tion of New York City, held a convention of clubs and associations interested in the protection of health, on May 14th and 15th, 1896, at the Academy of Medicine, 17 West 43rd Street, New York. 8 the more energetic ones kept on, inspired with a courage that was remarkable. The old saying, that nothing succeeds like success, was fully exemplified in our Association, for our first success was the abolishment of a nuisance maintained by a man who had defied both law and order for years, and though indicted several times, was always able, through his political influence, to have the indictments pigeon-holed. Having gained such a victory in the beginning,we grew bolder, but as the field was a new one for women (we being the first society of the kind ever organized) the municipal authorities did not look upon us with favor. Instead of co-operation we met antagonism at every step. This, however, did not turn us from our course, but was rather an incentive to go on, for, like the maiden in love, the more she is opposed, the stronger her love grows, and she is usually victorious. While we builded better than we knew, it did not take us long to realize what we might accomplish by patient and persevering effort. To-day we can look back and wonder how such a state of affairs could have existed for so many years in a civilized community. Men had tried to do the work before us, but they had failed ; we are not so much surprised at that, because they are the bread winners, and cannot give the time and attention to the details, nor do they so well understand housekeeping with its numerous duties. We consider the city's housekeeping next in importance to our own. I will not weary you with- the history of our work, as you will hear the papers of our various chairmen read this eve- ning, and will see the practical results on our trip to-morrow. I merely touch upon a few of the salient points, that you may not despair of accomplishing the same results in your own cities Three daughters have entered under our charter since we organized ; one in Brooklyn, one in Pittsburg, and one in Philadelphia. We are happy to say that they are very pre- cocious children, and are getting along so rapidly that sometimes the parent cannot keep track of them. The Brooklyn Associ- ation will tell you this afternoon of her great work in indepen- dent lines, showing splendid results under the able leadership of her President. The Pittsburg Association has joined the Civic League in her city, but will not give up her name, and though she could not send a delegate at such notice, her paper will tell us what she has accomplished in Sanitary reform, especially in the line of prohibiting expectoration in cars. The President, Mrs. John Oakley, informed me in our first interview that the habit was so prevalent in the City of Pittsburg, that you could not walk a dozen yards on the street nor enter a street car without soiling your clothes. The Philadelphia Association is like the youngest child, who usually has her own way because she is the youngest. This 9 Society is so very energetic that it is due solely to it that we are holding this convention. Philadelphia wanted it a year ago, but time was too precious, and we were too busy with legislative work, but, like the impetuous child, she renewed her request this spring, by telling us she was going to hold it herself. We could not, of course, consent to have the child go so far ahead of the parent, and resolved to find the time to hold the Convention ourselves, when we could have the pleasure of meeting not only our children, but all of our friends who were interested in reforms for the public benefit. We hope, through it, to be able to enlarge our family, until, like the famous Smith's, we shall have relatives all over the country. We hope that you will find both pleasure and profit in this meeting, and that your stay in our city will be an agreeable one. We shall do all in our power to make it so, and while, in showing you the work we have accomplished, we hope to give you courage to battle with your own difficulties, we, in our turn, expect to get inspiration from the recital of the work you have done. I am truly glad that it has been possible for us to gather here to-day, and I trust that through this meeting branch associations may be formed under our charter and the work of health protection carried into every town and every city in the Union ; and therefore it is with hope in the future, as well as pleasure in the present, that I say to you Welcome ! When the applause which greeted the President's speech had subsided, the Recording Secretary, Mrs. G. H. Rosenfeld, read some letters of regret from delegates who were unable to be present. The President then called on Mrs. J. E. Scrimgeour of Brooklyn, President of the Women's Health Protective Asso- ciation of that city, who gave the following interesting report of the work of her society, the first society incorporated under the charter of the Ladies Health Protective Association of New York City. Madam President and Fellow Workers : It was a peculiarly happy thought that originated bringing the women together who have set themselves apart from ordinary lines of work and have practically demonstrated an unselfish interest in those matters which are for the highest welfare of humanity. 10 I think it is safe to prophesy that in years to come Beekman Place will be one of the historic landmarks of N. Y. City, for here was born that great enterprise which has resulted in the formation of Women's Health Protective Associations thoroughout the length and breadth of our land. And the battle waged in defence of home by these noble women will be rehearsed as long as there are women who are alive to the health and happiness of their loved ones. This Association may well rejoice in the personal success of its twelve years' labor, and it may also find abundant cause for congratulation, because it has been the means of arousing thousands of women to a sense of their civic obligations. We are a goodly family assembled here to-day, and it is with profound pleasure that I offer most respectful salutations in the name of The Brooklyn Women's Health Protective Association, to the mother of us all. All hail to The Ladies Health Protective Association of New York ! A five minutes' talk must necessarily be somewhat superficial, and does not admit of generous treatment of a subject. The work in Brooklyn was spontaneous in its growth, no great abomina- tions pressed us into service, and no preparations were made for a permanent campaign ; but after our first steps had been taken, and we had lifted up protesting voices against a reign of disorder and dirt in our midst, the influence of this Association stimulated us to systematic endeavors, and we became incorporated under its charter, and we have always been one in pur- pose ; although our methods of achieving results have been somewhat different. We deal more with the little things that make up the sum of universal misery, and are pressing forward to an ideal condition, by seeking to awaken the inhabitants of our city to the thought that each and every one is individually responsible for the peace and prosperity of a community. We have come to be known as advocates of good government by a public assayal three years ago in behalf of reform, and credit ourselves with no slight share in the victory won for freedom from ring rule in our midst. Our principal work is directed toward having suitable ordinances enacted for the protection of order loving citizens in their legitimate rights,and having secured such ordinances, to seek diligently for their enforcement. The ash barrel that has been our text for six years, is but the type of an idea, that faithfulness to the small affairs of life is a preparation for grander service whenever needed. It has been the earnest desire of our Association ever since its organization to inspire the children of the city with a laudable degree of pride in its welfare, and to train them to understand that they are under bonds for value received to do all in their power for its well being. We have, during the past year, perfected the scheme we have had in view, by publishing a little book entitled The Children's Aid to The Women's Health Protective Association, and sev- eral hundred boys and girls are now enrolled on our books as recognized Co- workers. The response to our appeal has heen so genuine and hearty we wonder we did not long ago abandon all attempts to cope with established habits of indifference toward cleanliness and decency. We are now openly protesting against the prevalent and offensive vice of spitting in public places, and while it is a most unpleasant subject, and is hardly to be mentioned to "ears polite," the practice that has compelled the dicussion of the question is still more so. In short, our society is working for a cleanliness that springs from within, whose fruit will be civic honor and integrity, and when these prevail we will have clean streets, pure water, good schools, righteous laws 11 honestly executed, and cities which will vie with any that now challenge our admiration. To hasten this millenial day women can become as " terrible as an army with banners," and teach, by precept and example, that political strength is the culmination of individual service from each and all. ELLEN A. SCRIMGEOUR. The President, Mrs. Trautmann, in commenting upon the excellent paper from the Brooklyn society, signified her approval of the endeavor to educate children to a sense of their rights and duties as citizens, and thought the home society would do well to take up this line of work also ; and then called on that most energetic society, also formed under the New York Health Protective Charter : The Women's Health Protective Association of Philadelphia. Mrs. Anne T. Scribner, the President, gave the following report of work : The Woman's Health Protective Association was founded in 1893 as a committee of the New Century Club, Mrs. Edwin L. Hall being the first President. On the invitation of the New Century Club, the President of the New York Association, Mrs. M. E. Trautmann, made an address, and the women of Philadelphia decided then and there to organize a Health Protec- tive Association on the plan of the one in New York. The Association seemed to meet a want in the city, for over two hundred women joined that Spring. The country at this time had been threatened with an invasion of cholera, and the women of Philadelphia, following in the footsteps of their sisters in New York, woke up to the fact that women are very personally con- cerned in such a disease as cholera ; indeed, we all know that to the women of the family fall all the arrangements of the details in regard to health, and that as women grow more and more alive to the dire results of neglect of sanitary laws, they are becoming more and more interested to see that these laws are observed, in all the detail which long centuries of domestic home-keeping have taught them are so important. , As mankind has studied the subject of public hygiene more closely, it begins to be plain how the crowding of human beings into the great municipalities has given rise to especial dangers to health and to life. For instance, the frightful herding of the poor in houses unfit for human habitation, with no sufficient water supply and no efficient means of disposing of the waste from these houses, led to a condition of things in England at the beginning of this century almost too bad to be believed. That people lived at all is the wonder, and it took but little to carry off large numbers of them at every epi- demic. It seems incredible to us now, the enormous predjudice that had to be overcome before laws could be passed to cover the various points where regard for the public hygiene could wisely interfere ; but they finally were * 12 accomplished, and now every member of a community feels entitled to protec- tion in regard to his health, just as he is in regard to his liberty and his property. It is interesting to find that in many of these points we are simply returning to the cleanly condition of the most prosperous ancient cities. Sanitary laws have been in existence from the earliest times, and if the laws laid down in the Pentateuch had been obeyed by Christian nations, preventable diseases would not have made the ravages they have through all these centuries. The old Romans too, had a system of sewers which have not yet been improved upon by modern science, and the remains of their aqueducts are among the wonders of the world. Hippocrates, among the Greeks, gave us the cardinal hygienic formula : "pure air, pure water, and a pure soil," and after all these centuries we know nothing to add to it. This modern movement toward sanitary reform may be said to have begun in 1893, after the formation of a local Board of Health to prevent the spread of cholera in England. It is interesting to note that rules were then adopted which included, 1st : The marking of all houses containing cases of cholera. 2nd : The attempt to separate the sick from the well, all intercourse pre- vented, and all houses afterward to be thoroughly purified. It was during this alarm, as has often been the case since, that the sanitary conditions under which the people were living became generally known. For example, the cholera scare did more in rousing the public in New York in a few weeks, than had been accomplished before during years of indifference. The old and world-wide belief that disease is due to special Providence or to the vengeance of offended Deity, although generally abandoned as regards indi- vidual cases or limited localities, still lingers in the minds of many with regard to great epidemics, which are either thought to be inevitable or to be averted by prayer and fasting, and citizens are inclined to leave the care of the public health to those officials whom we have selected for the purpose, forgetting that the passing of good sanitary laws will not ensure public health unless the public at large supports these laws with an active and intelli- gent co operation. Less than a century ago the idea prevailed that it was of doubtful propriety to ask why we were sick, and even to this day many believe that such an inquiry savors of irreligion. Happily this condition of otherwise intelligent minds is passing away, and we are realizing more and more that, as in good housekeeping, so in good town-keeping, eternal vigilance is the price of health. No town is self- cleansing, and the powers of science and of the arts, great as they are, are taxed to the uttermost, to afford even an approximate solution to the problems with which the sanitarian is concerned. He has only lately begun to suspect the existence of some of these problems, but in doing even this he has made a great step in advance, for where they have become clearly defined, they are, in most cases, half-solved. Too much honor cannot be given to the few earnest women in New York, who so long ago as 1884 determined to accomplish something in the study of these municipal problems and toward the abatement of nuisances over- looked by men. The Woman's Health Protective Association of Philadelphia, decided that it was of the first importance to obtain a thorough knowledge of the Munici- pal Government and of the problems presented in pursuing their work for the public health, and for this reason they confined their attention to study for the first winter, and invited various public officials to address them ; 13 especially those of the Board of Health and the Department of Public Works. The second year, however, a change was made in the Presidency, and the membership became so large that it was decided to form a separate organiza- tion, and the Association rented rooms of its own in the Y. M. C. A. Building, Fifteenth and Chestnut Streets. We also engaged a paid secretary, as the work had become too large to be handled entirely by volunteers. Our mem- bership is now about four hundred, including those who belong to our down- town branch. Naturally the work has led us more or less into contact with the public officials, whom we have ever found both kind and sympathetic in their attitude toward us. They have given us advice and have welcomed any sug- gestions which we have made, although not always able to adopt them, and our Association is pledged by its constitution to co-operate actively with the municipal anthorities. The press also, not only in Philadelphia, but through- out the country, have been almost a unit in their word of encouragement and sympathy for us in our endeavor. We have brightened our monotonous life of hard work by an occasional coming together in a social way. A year ago we had a delightful reception, to which the Mayor of Philadelphia came and spoke a few words to us, and this winter we have had mumerous conferences and lectures, among them being one by Colonel Waring of New York. Among other events was an Association Breakfast, which the papers declared to be one of the most brilliant events ever given in this city. We have sent delegates for two years to the Conferences of the National Municipal League. During the second year it was decided to form committees on the various causes affecting the public health and safety, with the aim of accomplishing some practical results, and the following committees were organized : Contagious Diseases, Water Supply, Street Cleaning and Collection of Garbage and Ashes Committees, Sweating System, Trolleys, and Literature. Later the Street Cleaning and Collection of Garbage and Ashes Committees were consolidated, and also the Committees on the Sweating System and Visiting Public Institutions. The first work of each committee was to study its own specific needs and ideals ; for instance, our Water Supply Com- mittee, after thoroughly considering all the details of the water supply of other places, both here and abroad, came to the conclusion that to make the water of Philadelphia perfectly sanitary and pure, some system of filtration must be immediately adopted. After careful consideration of all known meth- ods of filtration, our Committee recommended, and the Association adopted, the natural method of sand filtration, in use in many of the larger European cities, and of recent date in Lawrence, Massachusetts. In adopting this system, we have had to combat many prejudices in favor, first of a purer water supply, then of various patented methods of filtration. The argument in re- gard to the first, however, is, that it will take years of time and an enormous expenditure of money to bring water to Philadelphia from any of the places suggested, and when we have brought it, one family, whose presence it might be difficult to ascertain, with one case of cholera, could transmit enough germs in apparently pure, sparkling water to decimate our city. Another great obstacle in the way is the fact that all the pure sources of supply are out of the jurisdiction of Pennsylvania, and that, as other states are built up, factories and objectionable buildings might be located on our source of supply, and Philadelphia be powerless to prevent it. By the natural methods of sand filtration however, our experts have informed us, that under scientific sur- veillance the waters of the Delaware and the Schuylkill within our boundaries, 14 can be made almost perfectly pure and harmless, and give us sufficient water supply for all time. As is well known, typhoid fever is distinctly traceable to a contaminated water supply. Colonel Waring, in his article in the Engineer- ing Magazine for February, 1895, says, for instance, that typhoid fever is an absolutely preventable disease, and that the town with twelve annual deaths from this cause, " suffers an execution of one of its members every month and calmly accepts it," whereas if there were twelve annual cases of actual poisoning by some unknown person, what an uproar would at once ensue, and how the residents of such a town would tremble at the prospect of its being their turn next, and what strenuous efforts would be made to detect the murderer ! If the City of Philadelphia lost only five out of every ten thousand persons it would still be responsible for six hundred murders a year, and when we real- ize that a low estimate is twenty people sick for every one dying, and that every case of sickness is on an average a loss of fifty to one hundred dollars, we can at once see the reason why the Woman's Health Protective Association decided to make a vigorous campaign for pure water. This we have done by presenting memorials to both branches of Councils, by two public inter- views with the Mayor, and by a mass meeting in Association Hall, in conjunc- tion with committees from the Woman's Civic Club, the Wistar Biological Institute and the College of Physicians and Surgeons. This year a Joint Committee representing fifty organizations has been formed, with which we are in active co-operation. Our committee also undertook the work of inter- viewing the two hundred and sixty members of Councils, and it had printed a thousand circulars of information in regard to the whole subject of water purification, and twenty five reports by a water-works engineer, besides securing signatures for one thousand petitions praying for pure water. I have been thus particular in giving an account of the work of one com- mittee, in order to show how the women of a community, banded together in Health Protective Associations, can, with others, lead the thought of that community in realizing the public dangers to health and safety, and can materially assist in rousing public sentiment to effectually demand much- needed reforms. In our Contagious Diseases Committee too, much thought was given last year to the slight epidemic of small-pox, and after some discussion, our Asso- ciation put itself on record in a strong resolution advocating vaccination, and also in resolutions praying the Board of Health to universally mark all houses containing the severer contagious diseases. Considering the fact that the last epidemic of small-pox cost the City of Philadelphia twenty-one and a half million of dollars, it seems as if too strong action could not be taken by the Board of Health to stamp out these contagious diseases. But, to our aston- ishment be it said, we have discovered that the Board of Health finds great difficulty in causing individual cases to be marked or flagged. However, we feel that by agitation and education our citizens will soon come to see the misery which recklessness in this respect causes the community. On account of the many outsiders who come to Philadelphia as well as to our own citizens it is a matter of the first importance that people should not be allowed to walk unsuspectingly into a veritable death trap. We have also taken active steps in regard to the contagiousness of tuberculosis, by holding a conference on the subject in which a number of prominent physicians addressed the Association, and by having five thousand cards printed containing rules for consumptives, to prevent the spread of the disease. Here may I say, that the Association JJB last year found itself much hampered by lack of funds, and so we decided to publish a Woman's Edition of the Philadelphia Press. This netted us six thousand eight hundred dollars ; forty-five hundred the share of the Health Protective Association, and twenty-three hundred to be the nucleus of a fund to start a Contagious Diseases Hospital for pay patients. A Joint Committee has been formed, of members of the County Medical Society and of the Association, who have issued a strong appeal to the public, stating the necessity for such a hospital in Philadelphia. This committee has four women doctors among its members, and the Association hopes to enlist more of the profession for active work. This committee also protested against the re- moval of the Municipal Hospital from its present site. The Street-Cleaning Committee meets once a week, and each member re- ports the condition of the streets which have come under her notice during the week. The Committee also receives complaints from every part of the city, verifies them and forwards them each week to the Department of Public Works and to all the papers. The Committee is studying carefully various perplexing questions connected with the collection of garbage and ashes, and the paper nuisance, which is such a problem in Philadelphia. The Com- mittee has recommended the plan of having the ashes called for and taken out in the same manner as the garbage. This Committee has visited all the Incinerating Plants in the city ; only one was considered satisfactory. This now burns half the garbage of the city, the other half is disposed of by the Arnold system of reduction, which subjects the garbage to great heat for eight hours, and then, by various processes, reduces it to two inodorless sub- stances, one a fertilizer, which is in great demand, the other, grease, which is used in Germany for making soap. Eight of the Committee visited this plant and were entirely satisfied with the results. This Committee is also actively co-operating in the work of the down-town branch which was formed in the slum district, with the idea that much good could be accomplished among the residents in that quarter by thorough study and active co-operation in these vital questions of health and cleanliness. The Health Protective League, as our down town branch is called, has issued five thousand cards, stating the purpose of its work, and it has also had printed twenty-five thousand cards, time-tables of the hours when the garbage and ashes may be collected. The Branch is now working to have benches introduced in the piers along the Delaware, for the benefit of mothers with sick children. A Children's League has been organized, as we feel that work among children is the most hopeful of any undertaken. The Committee has been very much encouraged in the result of its weekly report, and the authorities have accepted suggestions made and seemed always glad to co-operate with the Committee. There is a vast field of work still before this Committee, as it studies these municipal problems, and its work, valuable as it has been in the past, may be of still greater value in the future . At the instance of our Association, the Trolley Committee sent a Memorial to every Traction Company in the City, as well as to the Mayor and the Council, asking that fenders of the best type be introduced, that over- crowding be prevented, that the motor-men and conductors be not allowed to work more than ten or twelve hours a day, instead of sixteen as at present, (as the long hours incapacitated them for public service, and imperiled not only their own lives, but those of the travelling public,) that these men be protected from the weather by vestibules, and lastly that the cars be heated, and that the rules regarding expectoration be enforced. Last year we 1§ heartily endorsed a bill at Harrisburg, which compels the vestibuling of cars from November until March. The last Memorial was one which asked for enforcement of quiet on trolley parties, which have been such a nuisance after eleven at night. Our Sweating System Committee caused the introduction of a bill at Harris- burg last winter, making the manufacturers responsible for selling garments made in the sweat-shops, and we are also interested in a bill of the textile workers for alleviating the miseries of the factory operators, and in one introduced by the factory inspectors, putting the regulation of the sweat shops under the care of the inspectors, and requiring certain conditions of room and air. This Committee was merged this winter into the Committee for Visiting Public Institutions, who, so far, have confined their work to visiting the public schools. A number of schools were found in a very wretched sanitary condition, and a strong effort will be made by the Com- mittee to secure a sufficient appropriation to remodel the old schools, build new ones, and to employ more janitors to keep the schools in the proper condition of cleanliness and order. A wide field of work has opened before this Committee, as it fully realizes the long years of suffering to be the doom of the children of Philadelphia unless these sanitary physical evils are abated. The Committee works in complete harmony with the Board of Education, to whom it makes a report of the condition of the schools. The Board is keenly alive to these conditions, but needs an appropriation to enable them to carry out these reforms. It is our hope that we may be able to assist them in securing the much-needed money. Our Literature Committee has made a collection of over five thousand press clippings, upon all subjects relating to public health, found in our daily papers, and its aim is to keep us informed of magazine articles, pamphlets and books relating to the work of any of our committees, and to form a really fine library, bearing on every point of hygiene. Our Association is also interested in the question of the housing of the poor. As it comes more to the front every year, it is more easily seen now than formerly that the conditions of the dwellings of the poor — neglected places, out of view, known only to the doctors and the public officers — is a constant menace to the health of every individual in the city. It has been distinctly shown that children brought up in bad sanitary surroundings are inferior in physical health and are less susceptible to moral influences. Adverse physical surroundings tend to produce an adult population, short-lived, improvident, reckless and intemperate, and the removal of noxious physical circumstances and the promotion of civic, household and personal cleanliness are as necessary to the improvement of the moral condition of the community as they are to the physical. The intolerable suffering and degradation in- curred by masses of the population through the conditions under which, by force of their poverty, they are generally housed, show how genuine and urgent a need there is that we should concern ourselves systematically and compre- hensively in all the interests of the public health. We all know what large fresh additions of human misery are occurring day by day under the general prevalence of sanitary neglect, and the spectacle of so much needless human misery is one to make every woman do all in her power to rouse such part of mankind as she can influence, to take a keen and vivid interest in legisla- tive control of all these evils. Finally, in closing, I can only urge upon all women the vast importance of this work for the public health. That the average length of human life may be 17 very much extended and its physical powers greatly augmented ; that in every year, within this nation, thousands of lives are lost which might have been saved ; that tens of thousands of cases of sickness occur which might be pre- vented ; that a vast amount of unnecessarily impaired health and physical debility exists among those not confined by sickness ; that these preventable evils require an enormous expenditure of time and loss of money and impose upon the people unnumbered and immeasurable calamities, pecuniary, social, physical, mental and moral, which might be avoided ; that means exist within our reach for their mitigation and removal, and that measures for this prevention will affect far more than remedies for their cure, and that upon the women of the land this great burden falls most heavily, are the conclu- sions to be drawn by all who have carefully studied this subject. It must also be admitted that the constant and continuous care of the community at large for the welfare of the individual parts is a characteristic of our present civilization. Man more and more rises to the religion of mutual helpfulness ; thoughts of loyalty to his kind are gaining sway with him, and the Golden Rule is becoming a precept with a wider scope than was thought of at the beginning of this century, and surely, in the years to come, as science is more and more able to preserve and strengthen to men their Gift of Life, they who are in front will count it sin and shame to themselves if their souls fail of answering to that high appeal and they strive not with all their strength to fulfill all the claims of that great allegiance. In conclusion may it be given to every one here to realize that this science is a growing one, with constantly opening doors, giving new visions of new dangers, but also pointing to us new ways to fight them, and let us remem- ber that we may never " rest and be thankful, for the ancient sphinx meets us at every turn, and her demand never ceases — ' Read me my riddle, O man, and I will be thy slave ; neglect it or fail and thou shalt be devoured.'" ANNE T. SCRIBNER, President. This interesting paper was received with much applause. The wonderful work accomplished by this young society was commented on with much pleasure by the President, who then called on Mrs. W. A. Herron, of the Pittsburg Women's Health Protective Association, for her report. The Secretary read a letter from the Pittsburg society regretting inability to send a delegate to the convention, and enclosed the following report, which was read by the Secretary. Pittsburg, May 12, 1896. My dear Mrs. Trautmann: I send you this report of one of our annual meetings. The report is two years old, but I send it chiefly because it contains the results of our investi- gations on the smoke prevention question. The smoke nuisance here over- powers everything else, and the housekeepers are up in arms. 18 I must say of the garbage ordinance alluded to in this report, that it was passed last spring, and has now been in operation a year. The ordinance as endorsed by the Health Association was much amended before its final passage, and is consequently not so thorough a measure as we have hoped for, but is an improvement on former state of affairs. The greatest triumph that we achieved last year was securing the enforcement of a law recently passed by Congress providing that no garbage shall be thrown into a river or harbor that has been improved by the U. S. Government. Notwithstanding this law, garbage by the ton was daily dumped into the Alleghany and Ohio rivers. By uniting our forces with the Sanita- tion Commission — a small body of scientific men — we succeeded in securing the enforcement of the law, to the great benefit of the people living along the banks of the river. As a consequence of the enforcement of this law, the garbage ordinance had to be passed at once so that a means of disposing of our city refuse might be provided. Mayor Kennedy of our sister-city of Alleghany said at a public meeting : ' ' every sanitary reform that is now before the people of these two cities, originated in the Women's Health Protective Association. " As the sanitary branch of the Civic Club, we are now working to secure at least one public bath house. Think of a city of 300,000 people — and a city as dirty and smoky as Pittsburg without a public bath house ! Your secretary will be able, I hope, to extract a few items of interest from this letter and this printed report that may assure your auditors that the Womens Health Association is fully alive and wide-awake in Pittsburg. Sincerely, DIOGENE B. OAKLEY, "Secretary. FOR THE PUBLIC HEALTH. Several years ago a few New York women who had striven individu- ally and unsuccessfully to rid the neighborhood of various offensive nuisances, formed themselves into an association to see what could be accomplished by organized effort. Thus was born the Women's Health Protective Association, and their victories over the manure pit, the malodorous factory, and the disease- breeding garbage pile have led to the organization of branch societies in many of our principal cities.' The Womens Health Association is essentially an organization of house- keepers who desire to go no further into public life, nor to have any more to do with politics and politicians than is necessary to maintain their homes and immediate surroundings in cleanliness Women cannot keep their households in that state of cleanliness which is next to godliness when clouds of smoke pollute the atmosphere and when the dust from dessicated garbage sifts in at every crack and crevice. 19 It is a mournful fact that American cities are the dirtiest in the world, and when we think of our smoke-laden atmosphere and the garbage piled up In back yards and alleys, we are forced reluctantly to give Pittsburg the pre- eminence over all. During the two years since our organization we have been active in agitat- ing the necessity of daily garbage removal. By means of petitions addressed to the Mayors and the Councils, and by articles in the daily papers, we have endeavored to awaken our citizens to the fact that Pittsburg and Alleghany are the only two cities in the civilized world without a garbage removal law. By paying a dollar a month, those who are cleanly and well-to-do, can have their refuse carried away twice a week. And we all know that twice a week is not often enough in summer, but there are thousands of poor families who cannot afford a dollar a month, and yet must dispose of their garbage in some manner. Shall we blame them if they throw it into adjacent alleys, pile it up in back yards, or make a dumping ground of their cellars? One of the members report having discovered a family who have dumped the over- flow of their stable yard into their cellar until it is almost even full of manure. The house to house inspection b} r the Bureau of Health, which the papers in- form us is now going on, will probably result in the cleaning out of this as well as of other equally foul cellars, but how long will it be before the same condition prevails again? There is a homely saying that "one keep clean is worth a dozen make cleans." And no annual inspection, however thorough, can take the place of a daily removal of refuse and manure. We are glad to record a great improvement in public sentiment since our last annual meeting. The fear of cholera has come to our aid, and we have succeeded in getting good garbage removal ordinances before the councils of both cities. The Pittsburg ordinance was drawn up by Mr. Crosby Gray, long health officer of this city, and was submitted to a committee composed of three members of the Health Association, three from the Chamber of Com- merce, and several from the Council committees of Public Safety. All the amendments proposed by the ladies were accepted. The ordinance as it now stands provides for the removal of garbage from every household every day during the months of May, June, July, August and September, and twice a week during the remaining months of the year. Householders must keep their refuse in tightly covered metal cans provided for the purpose, and it will be removed in odorless sanitary street carts such as are in use in Washington, Baltimore and Detroit This ordinance does not provide for the final disposition of the garbage, though our committee succeeded in inserting a clause which stipulates that it shall be disposed of in a sanitary manner, and that means, if it means anything, that it shall not be thrown into the river. The Alleghany ordinance is more complete than the one on this side of the river, inasmuch as it provides for the erection of more garbage furnaces, and the destruction of all refuse by fire. It is hoped that these ordinances will pass in time. to go into effect this sum- mer. But even should they pass and be strictly enforced, let no one think that our work for municipal cleanliness is ended. We must have laws prohibiting the throwing upon the street or pavement of litter or refuse of any kind, fruit skins, straw or torn paper, since all these are not only unsightly, but decay, and furnish food for the germs of Zymotic diseases. Storekeepers must not be allowed to brush their sweepings out upon the pave- ment, but must lift them and put them into the garbage box to be removed by the daily collector. 20 The street-cleaning laws must be amended to the block system, under whose methodical working the streets of London, Paris, Berlin and Rome are kept in such excellent condition. The Women's Health Protective Associa- tion of New York, succeeded, last summer, in having this block system adopted by the authorities. The requisite ordinances were passed, but no attempt has as yet been made to put them into execution. But perhaps it is too much to expect from our masculine housekeepers that they shall pass a sanitary ordinance and enforce it in the same year. Their assimilative powers are feeble, and they have to take their doses of cleanliness in homeopathic quantities. Still, notwithstanding all drawbacks, the outlook for daily garbage removal is steadily brightening, and we confidently hope that our next annual report will be able to give an account of the perfect working of the new garbage law. The necessity for the purification of our water supply is being so effec- tively agitated by the Engineers' Society, the Chamber of Commerce and the Pittsburg Dispatch, that we have felt it unnecessary to take up that particular phase of municipal cleanliness. It may not be amiss, however, to say that two years ago we had quite a correspondence with the State Board of Health on the subject of the pollution of the Alleghany river. We also urged our local Board of Health to do all in their power to prevent the dumping of city refuse into the river. Their answer was characteristic: "Other cities throw their garbage into the rivers, and why should we be more fastidious than our neighbors?" When we think that the whole community is now aroused upon the horrible impurities in the Alleghany river, we can see what an advance there has been in public sentiment during the last two years. Cholera is a great educator. The smoke nuisance has received no small amount of our attention during the past year. We have to record a growing interest in the matter of smoke prevention, and a constantly increasing number of smoke preventing appli ances in use. We have continued our correspondence with the anti smoke societies of Chicago, Cleveland and St. Louis, and have kept ourselves and the public fully informed on all that has been accomplished in these cities. We can record no new invention that can be depended upon to reduce the smoke of a rolling mill or a puddling furnace, but the past twelve months have served to give additional proof that smoke from stationary boilers can be reduced fully 90 per cent, with positive profit to the producers. So many Alleghany citizens are convinced of this fact that there is an ordinance before their councils prohibiting the emission of smoke from stationary boilers and locomotives, and should the ordinance pass, the present energetic administration of our sister city may be trusted to see that it will be enforced. The Pittsburg ordinance, prohibiting the emission of smoke from any stack in the East End, went into effect last September, but no visible effort has yet been made to carry out its provisions. The ordinance is most lamely drawn up, for though it prohibits smoke in no uncertain language, it leaves its enforcement to the discretion of the Department of Public Works. The present chief of that department is known to be a friend to the anti-smoke movement, but being a busy man, he has let what he may do, wait upon what he must, and hence, beyond equipping the city water works with a fairly suc- cessful appliance, he has done nothing toward freeing the East End of a nui- sance that threatens destruction to all the beautiful residences in its limits. Our 21 complaints that the law is daily and hourly violated have met with a courteous hearing, but nothing has been done. Finding no redress in the Department of Public Works, we decided to test the ordinance by making the necessary information before an alderman. That plan also failed, for the alderman professed ignorance of the law, refused judgment, and passed the matter on to the city attorney. The only way left is to take the matter to the courts, and that, on the advice of our friends, we have decided to do. We shall make a test case, and have selected the power house of the Duquesne Traction Co., as possessing the most valuable points of attack, as by reason of its location it violates the common law and two city ordinances. Moreover it is operated by a powerful corporation, and if we succeed in stopping its smoke, it will be an easy matter to see that smaller affairs obey the law. We especially desire that the public shall know that the Duquesne Trac- tion Co. need be put to no expense in stopping their smoke. The agent of one of the most successful devices in the market, one highly recommended in Chicago and St. Louis, has offered to equip this powerhouse with his furnace, and take his pay as the coal is saved. There need not be a cent of actual outlay to the company. Of course, it will require money to test this matter in the courts, and our success will depend upon the liberality of the friends of a pure atmosphere. There are laws in Pittsburg and Alleghany, as well as in Chicago, prohibit- ing engines from emitting black smoke within certain limits, but the railway companies refuse to obey them, and the authorities are timorous about enforcing them. Last May, at the request of the department of public works, we handed in a list of engines that had violated the law, but no action has yet been taken. The Junction Road, after having been smokeless for exactly a year, has begun to use soft coal again. We have put the matter in the hands of our attorney, and doubtless it will be speedily settled, as the use of soft coal is expressly forbidden by the company's charter. It may be interesting to know that the very successful smoke preventative in use on the Illinois Central railroad costs but $40 an engine, and its equip- ment takes but one day's time. We have, during the past year, continued our endeavors to persuade the street car and steam car companies to post signs in all their cars and stations urging thoughtless men to refrain from expectorating upon the floor. The Alleghany Valley and the Pan Handle roads have acceded to our request to the extent of placing signs in the station houses, though in the cars men are still permitted to be as uncleanly as they please. Signs have been hung in most of the street cars, and it is the testimony of those who use the cars daily that a decided improvement is noticeable. When we think that two years ago there was scarcely one such sign in the city, and women and cleanly men simply sat and suffered in silence, whereas now when the sign is lacking, or its admonition disregarded there is open and audible displeasure, we must admit that public sentiment has progressed. It is pleasant to record that this particular branch of our work for clean- liness has received the most emphatic endorsement from the medical profession. Dr. Pruden of New York, asked not long ago through the columns of the Medical Record, " cannot associations be formed throughout the country for the purpose of persuading the public to refrain from the offensive and disease breeding habit of expectoration. " On learning that the Health Association 22 of this city had had the temerity to begin this needed reform, the Medical Record gave us a column of thanks and encouragement. Other medical journals of equal prominence have given us unstinted praise, and we have received letters of congratulation and endorsement from physicians in a dozen different States. One doctor calls this the " greatest reform of the age. " The medical pro- fession having taken so decided a stand, there can be no doubt as to the final result. The practice is objected to not merely because it is vulgar and offen- sive, but because of the contagion that emanates from it. One-seventh of the adult population of Pennsylvania have consumption, and there are more deaths from tuberculosis in its various forms, than from all other diseases combined. Even cholera can claim no such ghastly harvests as are reaped by this great white plague. And yet its prevention is so easy, simply that all discharges from the mouth shall be disinfected, or, still better, burned. What is the hygienic condition of a crowded street car, or theatre, or what proportion of consumption germs are floating around in the atmosphere above our streets? We really eat, drink and breathe tuberculosis. Fruit and vegetables exposed for sale on fruit stands and in the market have been washed, and the washings being submitted to the proper tests have revealed the countless germs of tuberculosis. The germs of scarlet fever, diphtheria, and all the various affections of the throat can also be propagated by means of the expect- oration; have we not abundant reason, in view of all this, for our protest against this prevailing habit? It is, as yet, useless to invoke legislation for our protection; the reform is still in an educational stage, and to make it effective we must begin with the .children. We have, therefore, had some notices prepared for us by the State Board of Health, calling attention to the contagion and disease that re- sult from this habit, and through the co-operation of Superintendent Lucky, have had them hung in all the public school rooms in Pittsburg. The Superintendent of Alleghany schools declined to put them up. We hope that continued importunity may induce him to change his mind. These signs are also hanging in the Western University, and in other boys' schools through- out the city. We should like to hang these notices in the street cars as a regular advertisement, but have been prevented by the expense, which is 2 cents a car per day. Contributions for this purpose will be gladly received. The signs that now hang in the cars were placed there only after continued entreaty from the members of the Health Association. No one but the committees who have done the work have any idea of the persistence that has been required. It is hard to understand why the railway companies should be reluctant to aid in securing the comfort of cleanliness for their passengers. Smoking is vigorously and effectually prohibited, and it is useless to say that this still more offensive habit cannot be regulated. It is an encouraging sign of the times that the town of Wiesbaden has forbidden all public expectoration except into receptacles filled with bichlor- ide of mercury, which will be placed along the streets at certain intervals. The Indiana State Board of Health introduced a bill into the legislature last winter requiring all public conveyances through the State to carry vessels of bi-chloride of mercury into which passengers should be compelled to expectorate, but the bill was promptly thrown out, the legislators feeling that it interfered with the dearest privilege of the American citizen. The Health Association needs the assistance of every woman in Alleghany county. 23 Cleanliness is not only next to godliness, it is inherent in godliness. No uncleanly man can be a gentleman and a Christian, no dirty city can reach a high plane of moral or artistic excellence. Pittsburg is said to lack in public spirit, if this be true, is it not owning to the depressing influence of our en- vironment of dirt. In conclusion we wish to extend our hearty thanks to the gentlemen of the Chamber of Commerce for their cordial co operation, as well as to the daily press, without whose generous assistance much of the work would have been unavailing. Our report would be incomplete without an expression of the thanks we owe to Mayor Kennedy for his courteous reception of our petitions, and his constant endeavor to further the reforms we have suggested. His administration inspires the belief that even a man may learn to recognize dirl when he sees it. IMOGENE B. OAKLEY, Secretary. This was followed by the report of the Plainfield and North Plainfield Town Improvement Society, Mrs. E. M. McCarthy, President. The society was represented by Mrs. Alexander Gilbert and Mrs. David W. Pond, who gave a verbal report. Mrs. Gilbert said that she did not come to this meeting intending to speak at all, but simply as a sponge to absorb the good suggestions made by others, and carry them home for the benefit of the society. Mrs. Pond said that like all new movements, a great many plans had been offered for work, and it would be much easier to tell what they were not going to do, than to enumer- ate the different schemes for improvement and benefit to the city. Mrs. Scrimgeour of Brooklyn, and Mrs. Scribner of Philadelphia, had addressed a meeting and given great pleasure. Mrs. Gilbert, who is treasurer of the society, spoke of the necessity of collecting lubricating oil with which to make the machinery run well when once started, by procuring members and especially their contributions. " The membership fee is fifty cents a year, so that every woman is able to join in the w*rk and take an interest in the town. We have all the usual committees, the Outlook Committee, Committees on Parks and Trees, Streets, Railroad Stations and Trolleys. Humane, Children's Auxiliary, Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and Press. The latter has the privilege of filling half a column once a week in each of the daily papers. As our city now numbers about 18,000 inhabitants, our Parks and Trees Committee is trying to select in time, and hold, appropriate plots of ground for drinking fountains and parks, before they are occupied by build- ings too valuable to remove. When these breathing places for the poor are needed, on account of crowded tenements they are impossible to procure. This committee has also sole supervision of spraying the elm trees to destroy 24 the beetles which prey upon them. Ivy and woodbine will be started on the stone embankments of the railroad bridges, and a prize is to be offered for the best kept back yard on the railroad. A circular letter will also be sent to bicycle clubs asking for the help of members in reporting the condition of roads, and suggesting improvments in the suburbs. All literature belonging to the society will be donated to the public library, and be placed upon a shelf reserved for it." Mrs. Pond emphasized particularly the work of the Children's Auxiliary Committee. ' 'Here is our greatest hope, for, by preventing the formation of bad habits, and by teaching children to respect the rights of others, and to obey the laws, there will be fewer faults to correct in the happy future, to which we all are looking forward." The Montclair Women's Town Improvement Association, represented by Mrs. Frank A. Hall, gave the next report : The Town Improvement Association of Montclair, N. J., was formed just after the epidemic of typhoid fever swept over the town, carrying desolation into many homes. A free ventilation of the causes that led to it settled in the minds of many women,- as a fact, what before had been a vague feeling, that the men of the town were hardly ideal municipal housekeepers ; and with their usual willingness, the women determined to help, consequently formed this Association, one object of which is, as the Constitution says : " to protect the health of the people of Montclair, by taking such action from time to time, as may secure the enforcement of existing sanitary laws and regulations, by calling the attention of the proper authorities to any violation thereof, and to procure the amendment of said laws and regulations, where they shall be found inadequate for the prevention of acts injurious to the public health." The Committee which carries out this branch of the work, planned by the originators of the Association, is called the Sanitary Committee. The Executive Board wisely appointed as Chairman, the wife of the President of the Health Board, which has proved a success, as much has been accomplished with a minimum of delay. As it came into existence it was met by numberless complaints of promiscuous dumping of garbage, uncon- genial odors in many localities, and flagrant abuses of such laws as then existed. These were reported to the Health Board, who, it may be here stated, had extended a cordial invitation to the members of the Committee to be present at their meetings for mutual consultation and understanding, and they immediately added many necessary ordinances and enforced those exist- ing better than heretofore. The report of the Chairman at the first semi-annual meeting showed a decided decrease in complaints and an increase in the healthfulness of the town surroundings. One special menace to health was a once beautiful stream which wended its way through our cluster of homes. It had become so by the temptation which it offered to some short- sighted householders, devoid of 25 consciences, to use it as a natural sewer, until many of those who breathed the unpleasant odors felt like exclaiming, as did Coleridge of the city of Cologne : " The river Rhine, it is well known, Doth wash your city of Cologne ; But tell me nymphs, what power divine Shall thenceforth wash your river Rhine ? " This stream was closely inspected, and, as far as possible, the nuisance abated, and it doubtless hastened the proper sewerage of the town, which fortunately, was commenced almost immediately, and to day none can criticise Montclair's sanitary condition on that point. But so far we have been unable to entirely control the promiscuous dump- ing of garbage. As it costs five, ten or fifteen cents per barrel to have it removed by licensed scavengers, it is possible to understand why the occupants of tenement houses, if undetected, place it, unburied, in vacant lots, as they have not money to spend in that way, and must dispose of it, but when people of ample means are discovered in the act, we are confronted with that problem of to-day, viz : the great lack of public spirit, public pride and public conscience. That the growth of these qualities will come in the future through the workings of associations like yours and ours, is our hope and belief. We, in Montclair, call it "newer patriotism." While we hope and believe, we are watching to see what you will do here in New York about the disposal of garbage, and we want, as soon as possible, to have our town collect and dispose of household waste. That there is a scientific method there can be no doubt. Find it and lead us in the right way. One word about our milk supply. As the milk brought into the town, by one particular milkman was the cause of the typhoid epidemic two years ago, and as this particular matter was settled by the town authorities, the Town Improvement Association did nothing concerning the milk supply, at first, but a little later it was deemed a part of the duty of the Association to see in * what coudition the dairies, supplying the town, were kept. Accordingly, some were visited by a member of the Association and a veterinarian of the town, noted for his honest interest in its welfare. There can be no doubt that laws are scanty enough in this direction, however redundant they are in others. They found that dairymen may feed their cows wherever they wish ; it may be good or bad drainage where cows drink. Stables and barn-yards may be good, bad or indifferent, as chance may make it or the convenience of the owner dictates. Bottles may be washed out once or many times and may dry in the stable or wherever it is most convenient. Cleanliness cometh not as a requirement of the law. If you find a clean dairy, it is because the dairyman happens to have that highly to be- desired quality, in this business of all others, natural cleanliness. That a cow shall be looked over once a year, is all that our wise legislators ask to-day : that the milk of the dairy shall be inspected, none too closely, is all that is required by those people who hold our lives in the hollow of their hands, as far as this part of their preservation is concerned, and it is an important part. But now we know that the people of Montclair need have no milk served them, but perfectly safe milk, if they so will it, for there are men who are 26 reliable and who do far more than the law demands, and will supply the people of our town who are sensible enough to choose the milk from model dairies. As long as the law does not support the Town Improvement Association in requiring from dairymen what any good housekeeper would suggest in- stantly, upon inspecting the usual type of dairies, all we can do we have done. It is this : we have made a list of all the dairies supplying the town, and this, with a map upon which is marked the location of every one, is deposited with the Town Clerk for public use, and can always be seen at his office. This fact has been given every publicity in the public press, and housekeepers have been advised to pay a visit to the dairy from which comes the milk used by them. This is not a difficult task ; it is easy to accomplish in these days of wheels and trolleys. It then rests with them whether they will accept milk from a dairy where perfect cleanliness is observed, or from one where it is totally neglected. The Town Improvement Association and the Health Board have both done all the law allows. And now, as we thank you for inviting us here to day, we wish to tell you that many times your " Health Protective Association " has been to us a great incentive and inspiration. Very respectfully submitted, MARY R. HALL, Delegate from the Town Improvement Association of Montclair, N. J. Mrs. Trautmann here remarked that the trouble in Montclair over the milk supply had given a stimulus to the New York Society, and spoke of the work done in Hudson County. The Report of the Health Protective Committee of the "Jersey City Women's Club was then read by Miss Celia Gaines. The Health Protective Committee of the Jersey City Woman's Club was organized two years ago. Its object, as announced at the first meeting, was to popularize scientific knowledge on health topics, so that all might have the benefit of the truth acquired by patient study and learned from experience, and we hoped, through an enlightened public sentiment, to effect some lasting reforms in hygiene. Such changes, like all educational pro- cesses, must, from their nature, be slow, as they require for their success the growth and development of the individual, so that in reviewing the work accomplished we have sometimes felt discouraged that more had not been done ; but., believing as we do, that no good work is lost, we have gone forward on several different lines, trusting that any seed sown would eventually bring forth its appropriate harvest, and that we might, in some small degree, help to ameliorate the evils which we deplore. In looking over the field to see where to begin, we experienced some difficulty in deciding which was the most important work to be done, and in what way we could best remedy those evils whose beginnings are so far 27 back and whose results last so long and are so terrible. The difficulties in the way, would, we fear, have deterred us, if we had not realized that there is no safety in sitting quietly at our ease, while "the whole creation groans and travails in pain," trusting that Evolution will bring about a happy solution of the problems without our assistance, for here, as everywhere, the selfishness which forgets others, defeats itself, and effectually destroys the ability to enjoy life's blessing, and hinders progress. Believing these fundamental truths, we have worked for the enlightenment of our own members and endeavored to awaken an interest in these subjects, which, to us, seem of vital importance. We have had lectures on hygienic subjects, some of which were, " The Effect of Food and Drink on Health and Morals," which included the Temperance Question; and, "The Purification of Water by Filtration and other means," by a distinguished chemist, and the difficulty and importance of procuring a healthful supply for cities. Also, "The Need of Light, Sun and Air in the Schools and Homes." A petition was circulated and signed by our members, and by over one thousand well-known citizens, urging the Board of Education to consider the great need of a new High School Building, which would furnish better sanitary conditions for our children. We considered the sanitary disposition of refuse, and had a lecture on the latest methods of disposing of ashes, refuse, etc. We have studied the practical use of disinfectants, and how to prevent contagious diseases, and have distributed the circulars issued by the State Board of Health on these subjects. Especial attention has been given to a consideration of the best way to help those who are mothers but not wives, as well as those still more un- fortunate and even more to be pitied, who have given themselves up to lives of shame and are outcasts, as they are a constant menace to the health and happiness of the community. This class needs to be considered, both for sanitary and ethical reasons, as no system of ethics is complete which fails to take into account these unhappy women, and no sanitary reform can safely ignore them. For society is bound together by ties which we cannot sever, and the disease and degradation of one class injures all. We have studied the subject of Heredity and the duties w T hich women owe to the race of which they are mothers, as we realize that they can no longer innocently shelter themselves behind their ignorance, until they have at least tried to understand some of the laws on which health and happiness depend. Goethe, in closing his great drama of Faust, says: "The womanly soul leads us upicard and on." Let us hope that the higher education and broader culture now vouchsafed to women, may enable them to more worthily fill the high vocation to which the great poet declares that nature has called them, so that they may avoid some of the mistakes and dangers of former days ; and let us trust that the search-light of their sympathetic intelligence may irradiate the dark problems which are now the despair of philanthropists, and an acknowledged blot on our civilization. M. F. De HART, Chairman. Jersey City, N. J. 2b This interesting paper was followed by the report of the Indianapolis Sanitary Association, which was read by Mrs. Emily Wakeman, Corresponding Secretary of the Ladies Health Protective Association, as Mrs. Haldeman of Indian- apolis could not be present. The Indianapolis Sanitary Association was organized January, 1893, "to promote general sanitation by increasing public interest in the prevention of disease, and by aiding the City Government in the enforcement of its sanitary ordinances." From the first we have worked in connection with the Board of Health. The appointment of a sanitarian in the past year, we regard as the greatest impetus city sanitation has received. In our work we recognize neither politics, religion nor color. For the purpose of creating a local interest and more thorough investigation of the city, we have aimed to organize ward societies. We have standing committees on school houses, clean sidewalks and public buildings, clean streets, market houses, park, hospital and dispensaries, and on law and literature pertaining to sanitation. Without being distinctly organized for charitable purposes, we have been able to reach out and do much to better the sanitary condition of the poor and needy, and our best work has been done among the less fortunate. One instance of this, is that of a wealthy property owner who refused to repair the vaults and clean the wells belonging to his tenement houses, until the Sanitary Association brought its influence to bear upon him : The result was that a hundred tenants were made glad by having one hundred wells and vaults put in good condition. Our policy has not been aggressive ; we have worked conjointly with existing "Boards and often at their suggestion. The members of the Association are expected to go about the city with seeing eyes, and report to the Recording Secretary anything unsightly, or that is a menace to health. The Recording Secretary fills out prepared blanks, which are sent to the City Sanitarian, who gives them to the Inspectors. The Inspector, after investigating the nuisance and ordering it abated, writes his comments on the back of the complaint and returns it to the Recording Secretary, so that we have the satisfaction of knowing exactly what has been done about the nuisance. The complaints are all numbered and recorded. About the time of the cholera scare, we had suggestions on peaceful minds, plenty of fresh air and sunshine, disinfectants, whitewash, cleanliness, regular habits, food and morals printed on cards and distributed among the school children. We have done much educational work, by articles in the newspapers on sanitation ; through talks by members at the Free Kinder- garten Mothers' Meetings ; through monthly meetings of the Association, open to the public, at which experts have given most valuable lectures ; through evening lectures, to which guests have been invited. We do not allow ourselves to become faint-hearted at the vast amount of work undone, by the thousand and one things we are powerless to help or hinder, at the apathy of ignorance and indifference. Certainly it takes a 29 long time to mould public opinion. We are pioneers in the work, and we fully realize its magnitude and great possibilities, and we have the hope that some day this work will be carried out in great, broad lines, systematically, and with all the light that modern science can shed upon it. EMMA. G. HALDEMAN, Cor. Sec. Mrs. Stillman, of Albany, gave an interesting account of the Committee of Sanitary Improvement. She said : The sanitary committee of Albany came into existence under pressure of a definite and urgent need. Disposal of Waste.— During the cholera scare of 1892 a recent comer to Albany found it impossible to dispose of the waste of her household. After trying every means at her command, the Board of Health and the mayor's office were visited, only to learn that for years the city had not appropriated a dollar for the care and disposal of its garbage. Private collectors had called for it in streets where it paid them to come, and if they were ill or for any reason stopped coming, there was absolutely no means of redress. In answer to the question as to how this evil could be remedied, it was suggested that a petition to the city authorities before the annual budget was voted on, might create a public sentiment and bring about a reform. This was undertaken in the autumn, involving an immense amount of detail in interviewing members of the board of health, leading physicians, Aldermen, Corporation Council and other leading public officials, clergymen and Catholic priests (some of whom were specially helpful in securing names in their wards). A public meeting was held, the matter was much discussed in the newspapers, and there was considerable opposition from politicians and conservative taxpayers. A petition of several thousand names was presented to the Board of Finance and was simply "received and filed," the funded debt of the city having already reached the limit allowed by its charter. The next step was to introduce a bill into the Legislature authorizing the city to add to its funded debt for the purpose of erecting a crematory or other plant for the disposal of waste, etc. This was accomplished the following year, and the matter placed in the hands of the Board of Health to investigate existing methods. They printed an elaborate report the next June, and had they been able to recommend a definite system with confidence, the appropriation would doubtless have been added to the last budget. A commissioner appointed by the mayor of New York last year investigated 70 different systems, and finally reported that no perfect method for the disposal of garbage had been found. This is the great sanitary problem of cities to-day, but it may be true that any method is better than no method if the search for a perfect one is too long continued. A reduction process now being tried at Rochester, which utilizes the waste for fertilizer, is being watched with interest and it is hoped that it may solve the problem for Albany. Ice Delivery. — The method of ice delivery which has prevailed in our city for many } 7 ears, has been to throw the ice from the carts as they pass 30 through the streets, lauding it on the sidewalk somewhere near the basement steps where it lies sometimes for hours for pedestrians to stumble over, forming streams and pools in warm weather and slippery places in winter. The dogs often defile it, it slides over expectoration (perhaps of tuberculosis) or other disease germs, and dirt of all kinds, and is transferred to individual ice boxes as cooks chance to see it or think of it. The sanitary committee discovered that a city ordinance against this system existed, but had never been enforced. When the petition for the dis- posal of garbage was circulated, it was accompanied by a paper asking housekeepers to notify their ice dealers that after a certain date no ice would be paid for which was not delivered in their houses where specified. Copies of the ordinance were mailed to every ice company in the city, with a courte- ous note asking their co-operation in this much needed reform. The daily newspapers reprinted these circulars, and a public sentiment was aroused which has greatly lessened this evil, though it still exists where housekeepers have been too apathetic or indifferent to do their part, some dealers having insisted that they must charge an extra price for such delivery. Unsanitary Houses. — Much complaint was made that nuisances and houses in unsanitary condition which were reported to the Board of Health received no attention, though repeated appeals were made. As there are two sides to every question, and these complaints were often anonymous or given with insufficient facts, printed blanks were prepared by this committee in consultation with the Board of Health, and houses reported on them in counectiou with our city mission work (as many as 14 having been reported at one time) have received prompt attention, and an officer has been detailed at once to examine them. Milk Supply. — Appeals have been made to this committee regarding impure milk and cream supplies, and examinations have been made by the dair} r commission under the state department of agriculture showing that boracic and salicylic acid are sometimes used by dealers and restaurants to keep milk from souring, and that these substances are injurious when taken regularly in such quantities as are required to preserve milk. Brewery grains are also widely used as food on dairy farms in the vicinity of Albany, and it is claimed that they partially intoxicate the cows and are very injurious to the milk supply, and steps are being taken to bring about investigation of these facts. Domestic Economy — The last work undertaken by this committee has been rather in the line of household economics. The board of public instruction was asked to include in its annual budget an item for the introduction of instruction in cooking in the public schools. While express- ing much interest in the plan, which was new to most of them, they failed to provide for its introduction at present, on the ground that quite an addition to their appropriation was necessary for other demands, and they believed the common council would not grant so large a sum, and that also the time was too short for them personally to investigate the work as carried on in Boston and other cities. Tue committee were given to understand by several members of the board that if the money were forthcoming through their efforts, whether by private subscription or otherwise, the work would be adopted. A public hearing was asked of the common council. This was well attended by representative citizens, and an appropriation of $1300 was granted for the equipment and running expenses for a year of one school 31 kitchen, which, being centrally located, could take classes from at least six different grammar schools, or half the total number in the city. The money has been in the hands of the board since January 1, but lapses and goes into the contingent fund, if not used within the year for the purpose specified. Some unfortunate complications have arisen in the board which have delayed the work, but it is hoped that the plan may be in operation with the new school year. Water Supply. — Perhaps the most important work which has appealed to this committee, and one which seems almost hopeless, so vast is its scope, is a pure water supply for the city. Hundreds of cases of typhoid fever occur each year, and, while exact statistics are not at hand, the statement has been made in print that by actual count our small city of less than 100,000 inhabitants, has more typhoid cases yearly than the great cities of New York or Brooklyn. One leading physician was attending 25 cases at one time, and these were among the well-to-do classes, who either never drink the city water or drink it only after boiling and filtering. The suffering among the poor is very great. A bill was before this last legislature providing for a State Board of Commissioners to investigate the water supply of cities, but for some reason it failed to pass both houses. Periodical and spasmodic attempts to deal with this question have been made without success. A private corporation some years ago offered to bring a pure supply of water from an Adirondack lake with the privilege of supplying towns on the way. Their bill failed to pass because sufficient bribes were not offered. Later the politicans almost forced upon the city a scheme to bring water from Kinder- hook, which scientific experts pronounced totally inadequate and impure. So the city is still using the Hudson river water after it has taken the drainage from Troy and vicinity. Ice Supply. — Two years ago it was proved that certain ice companies were cutting ice from the river within 60 feet of a sewer which drains direct from the penitentiary and the city pest hcuse. Refuse matter was plainly visible in the ice cut from this vicinity, and though the dt alers claim that it is sold only to brewers for bottling purposes, there is of course great danger from such a source. Through the efforts of the chairman of the Civic League Committee on Public Health, a bill had been before the legislature for two winters prohibit- ing this. The first year it was proved that certain legislators had accepted bribes from ice dealers to defeat the measure, and this last year it passed the senate but failed to reach the assembly. It may be asked why the sanitary committee of Albany does not organize as a distinct work and become a branch of the Ladies' Health Protective Association instead of being simply one of numerous committees under the Womans Auxiliary Board to City Missions. So far, all the work outlined in this report has been done practically by two persons on the sanitary commit- tee, and the chairman of the public health section of our newly organized Civic League, who add to their number for each separate object as need requires, placing the work under the auspices of either the city mission or the Civic League, as it may command a stronger constituency. A large variety of appeals come to us through the city mission work, covering not only physical sanitary needs, but questions of moral health, such as the circulation of impure literature, the posting of obscene theatre bills, the existence of a disorderly house for children of only 12 to 14 years of age to cultivate the lowest forms of vice. Such questions as we can not 32 well deal with are referred to such organizations as meet the need ; e. g. the Humane Society, the Board of Health or Charity Organization. Our city is so small that the number of really active interested workers who are willing to take responsibility is comparatively few. Those who started this work were all overburdened in other directions, and it would be impracticable to hold regular monthly meetings in two such important lines of work as sani- tation and household economics, while we are able now to take up subjects which touch public health in any form with our present simple machinery. One of the great dangers of our age is over-organization, and recognizing this, our strongest workers have systematically aimed to group allied phil- anthropies under one central organization as much as possible. Under the Woman's Auxiliary Board to City Missions there is great opportunity for one committee to aid another in such work as is done by the committees on friendly visiting, mothers' mission, fresh air work, clothing bureau, employment bureau, sanitary reform, children's home libraries, newsboys' lodging house, fruit and flower work, etc., which are each stronger for the union of the whole. At present, the Sanitary Committee has been offered rooms, rent free, to organize a New England kitchen with cooking classes, for the Girls* Guild connected with the city mission work. We are also considering a course of University Extension Lectures for mistresses of homes, and later on one for young girls and women who can live at home and go out by the day for emergency work, like house cleaning, mending, laundry, sweeping and dusting parlors, care of lamps, putting away winter clothing, etc., who will be under one central authority. Only time, strength, and the right workers are needed to push on to a much larger work than we have yet been able to accomplish. Then followed a paper by Mrs. Ellen Richardson of the Boston Confederate Council of Clubs. Madame President, and Delegates of the Ladies Health Protective Asso- ciations : — Summoned so suddenly by the President of the New York Ladies Health Protective Association to attend this Convention as her guest, I have had no time to inform myself of the work being done in Boston which might be directly in line with the special aim of your association. I am here to learn, and become the medium of information as to what is being done here and elsewhere. I know that in Boston we have diffused work for healthier conditions of private life publicly exposed, but do not know of a single organization devoted to the specific object. We have a Committee of Confederate Council of Clubs, known as the C. C. C.'s, who discuss public welfare, when any flagrant practice threatens health— or morals. I know that tbey objected to indecent posters of thea- tricals on bill-boards, and found that the law on the Massachusetts statute books were such as to back the tremendously signed petition which was sent up to the State House asking for the enforcement, of that law. I know 33 that some eight years ago, they decided that better conditions should prevail in the street cars and depots of railroads, and waited upon the President of the West End Railroad, asking that placards should be placed in all street cars, requesting the passengers not to spit upon the floor. (The suggestion made here this afternoon, is a good one, that notices had better read, passen- gers are requested not to spit while in this car, which would insure the seats, the window seats and platforms from the nuisance.) Good work is being done by different organizations, such as that by the Household Economic Association who discovered that the school-house floors were not, but must be washed oftener than they were used to being. I do not know why a special association for health protection has not been formed. The equal needs may not have existed, the city officials may have done their work so well that glaring needs have not stirred up remonstrance. To be sure, Boston is peculiarly constituted towards cleanly conditions, its business portion is concentrated, as are its slums, its lodging house accommodation, and its small residential portion of the Back Bay homes is along the banks of the Charles, while the greater proportion of the people of Boston come only to the centre, for business, leave it promptly, and go into the beautiful suburbs for rest and pleasure. The suburbs are beautiful, and are individually responsible for their health conditions. All this is not saying there is no work for such an association as yours, which should make it its special duty to inspect all conditions, from foul odors to driving dusts, floating papers, etc. We have societies who take pride in historical buildings and streets, as the Bostoniana, The Twentieth Century Club, and the Floral Emblem Society, and no doubt all these influ- ences tend to keep up the orderly appearance of a city's surface and a city's atmosphere. Speaking of the ethics of public customs, I recall a sign posted generally throughout the public places in Santa Rosa, California, when I was there during their beautiful rose festival two years ago. It read thus : "Anyone spitting upon this floor cannot expec-to-rate as a gentleman." Here was cer- tainly an ethical hint crowning a plain protest. I have been very much interested in all that I have heard from New York, Brooklyn, Philadelphia and other places. I shall take pleasure in reporting the good results at home, and hope that the example will rouse and direct thought in the care of public health conditions. A fitting time to present your work, will be during a five weeks' Congress on Home, to be held in Boston from October 5th to November 7th, inclusive, at Cotillion Hall, Mechanics' Building. As Chairman of the Congress, it will give me pleasure to welcome you there. ELLEN A. RICHARDSON. The following brief report from Mrs. Martha E. Fischel of the Wednesday Club, of St. Louis, was read by Mrs. Wakeman. My Dear Mrs. Trautmann : The science section of our Wednesday Club have, since I wrote you, begun to arrange for some future work. The chairman is Mrs. Theodore Mieir, 3938 Washington Ave. We have had a Civic Federation for two years past, but it was so badly managed and neglectful of its responsibilities that the 34 only showing it could make was an expenditure of office rent and salary. Efforts are just now being made to reorganize with a new force, but it is as yet in rather a chaotic state. The efforts of the Wheel Club united with others has been productive of a great deal of attention to our streets, which are now fairly clean. Our alleys are shamefully neglected. Our garbage contractor does fairly good work, and the President of our City Council being a man, not only of highest ability, but of strictest integrity of character, we have a close watchfulness of our municipal affairs conducted through his office. There is a Humanity Club of Women, quite large and composed of representa- tive women, but as their work so far has been devoted solely to our city- jail in alleviating some of the hardships of the women prisoners, I did not think it was indicated by your letter. This is all that I can report. The public con- science is however fully awakened, and I think the next few months will be productive of intelligent activity. Yours truly, MARTHA E. FISCHEL. Mrs. H. Plunkett, of Pittsfield, Mass., author of " Women, Plumbers and Doctors" — "Twenty-five years of Protective Medicine," was next called upon, and made the following remarks : Mrs. President, Ladies of the Health Protective Association, and Delegates: If, when fifteen years ago, I began to gather facts and material for a book, to show the vital interest of women in Sanitation, any one should have told me that they could be roused from their apathy and indifference, and that such a gathering as we have seen, could ever be convened, my answer would have been: "When that day comes, I shall be ready to say with the aged Simeon : 1 Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace.' " But I do not want to go at all ; having heard these interesting papers from all parts of the land, I want to stay and see the future developments from so promising a beginning ; your Association is to be congratulated upon bringing these zealous workers together. There is no doubt that a new estimate of the vital importance of physical health, as the foundation element of happiness, is making its way among women, and from a very recent study of the sanitary signs of the times, I can testify that there are points of light beginning to show themselves all around the horizon. About twelve years ago, some Boston graduates from women's colleges gathered themselves together, and asked " what can we do with our higher education to make the world brighter and better for our having lived in it ? " They formed an association, and set themselves to studying all that goes to make the Science of Sanitation, and under the leadership of Miss Marion Talbot and Mrs. Ellen H. Richards, they produced a valuable Manual of Sanitation that has been a great stimulant to study and effort in many localities. From that association came an impulse, that has so spread and 35 augmented that most of the women of Boston are wide awake on the subject, as is shown by the large classes that have attended the sanitary talks of Mrs. Tobey and others recently. At the annual meeting of the Ohio Board of Health in January last, Dr. Probst, the secretary, invited Mrs. Thomas L. Johnston, of Cleveland, to read a paper on the Relation of Women to Sanita- tion before them ; she produced an able account of much of the sanitary work of women up to-date, and dwelt, with admiration, od the work actually accomplished by the Ladies Health Protective Association of New York City. There is a great waking up all over the state, as to the prevention of typhoid tbrough pure water supplies, and especially in the great commercial city which now drinks fouled lake-water. Many of the co educational institutions of the west are inaugurating courses of sanitary lectures, and making a study of the prevention of disease a feature of their curricula — Miss Talbot, herself is the professor in the Chicago University ; — Ann Arbor has Dr. Mosher as her instructor in Sanitary Science, — and a Michigan women — Dr. Mary E. Green, of Clinton, has arranged, it seems to me, the very best scheme of study for clubs which do not want to study Sanitation exclusively, but still wish to compass a knowledge of it. Her "course" is planned to last from October to June. The handling of the problems connected with the World's Fair arrested the attention of all Chicago, and when women saw all the waste of those great multitudes, daily and inoffensively turned into ashes, they asked why the garbage of the city could not be similarly treated — resolute Miss Sweet, procured a good destructor, mounted it on wheels, and went from one dump to another, showing How To Do It, and now Miss Jane Adams, of Hull House is the Inspector of Garbage for the great city. The Fair demonstrated anew the value of co-operation, and many Sanitary Clubs, Circles and Associations have come into being since. That of Philadelphia seems to have been born full-grown — it was heir to the experience of all the others. Brooklyn amazes us by its energy and members ; you have heard all these interesting reports from different places this afternoon, and there are literary clubs in Waze, Mass., and Great Barrington, and Pittsfield, and New Bedford, and New Rochelle, and Baltimore that have arranged for instructive sanitary lectures. The foolish squeamishness that makes people hesitate to speak of the deadly microbe of the sputum, which is ready to attack us in our daily walks, is dying out — he is as deadly as the bullet, and who would hesitate to lift up a warning voice against that. It is a matter of thankfulness that the incubus of "politics" has been lifted from the broom — Col. Waring doesn't ask whether the man "on" its efficient end, is a Republican or Democrat or a Mugwump, but "has he a stout muscle, and a mind to be diligent," and we see the happy result. The earnest women of to-day are naturally looking to see what their sisters are accomplishing for the progress and uplifting of the world — every journal and magazine has its " column concerning women," their activities, etc. In studying the field, there seems to be, in some lines of feminine endeavor, a disproportionate amount of running about and cackling compared with the actual number of eggs laid. Not so, Mrs. President, in the Association whose guests we are to-day. They had already achieved a series of substantial reforms, before the outside world had fairly heard of them — they were too much engrossed with the hard work of conquering abuses, to have time or strength for noisy demonstrations ; but their patient, united and unflagging work has brought forth noble results, and to day they come " bringing their 36 sheaves with them," and, Mrs. President, your Association is to be heartily congratulated on what you have done in purifying your own city, and in setting an example to other committees, and in inaugurating a movement here and now, which, dating from this gathering, will be felt to the remotest borders of our land by the women — the true guardians of the health of the country. Mrs. Louis D. Gallison, President of the Improvement Society of the Oranges, was next called upon. She said : Madam President, Ladies : The gateman at the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad announc- ing the trains ready for departure, calls "Newark and all the Oranges." To the uninitiated this sounds very strangely. "All the Oranges" means Orange proper, a city — East, West and South Orange townships. The Improvement Society of the Oranges includes the four. Our work and our membership is embraced in these different localities. To properly systematize work, our society is divided into Standing Com- mittees. The officers : president, two vice.-presidents, two secretaries, and a treasurer, with the chairmen of the various Standing Committees, form the Executive Board. Our first Committee, Finance and Audit, needs no explanation. The second, Streets and Sanitation, is our Board of Health. The Domestic Training Association is designated in our reports as Committee Three. This Committee is regularly officered, has a controlling or executive board of seven officers and thirty members, with a steadily increasing subscription list. The Domestic Training Association has leased a house on our principal street, which it has neatly furnished as a dwelling ; one room being fitted as a class room with a gas range. We take girls to train as cooks, waitresses, general house workers, etc., etc., giving them a course of from three to six months' instruction free of charge, boarding them in the house. Miss Sara E. Craig, our Superintendent, is an expert in her line of work, being one of the best cooking teachers in the country. Beside giving instruction to the maids in training, she gives, every Thursday, demonstration lessons for ladies and servants together ; practice lessons to classes limited to eight members. Chafing-dish classes to both ladies and gentlemen, and private lessons ; also lessons in marketing. A valuable service is that of giving additional training to servants already in service. Often a cook is excellent in many things but deficient in others. We believe in system, and feel that scientific and intelligent work in our households would be the acme of bliss. The servant question is a problem this Association is doing its best to partially solve : the aim — a high one — to raise the standard of housework and household economy to an art ; at any rate, to place the hiring of domestics and domestic service upon a business basis. B9 This is really one of the grandest charities in which women are concerned. It gives a respectable and comfortable means of livelihood to many women ; it makes happy homes for mistress and maid ; it gives added health and strength by means of hygienic and scientific cookery. The Public School Committee is divided into wards, and each public school and school-room is visited at least once a month, and suggestions made of benefit both to scholars and teachers. These ward visitors report regularly to the Board of Education, and are recognized by them as "lady visitors." The suggestions are generally carried out — as originating with the Board of Education. Our Committee for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children is a branch of the Newark Children's Aid Society, and works under their laws and in conjunction with them. The Committee on Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a branch of the New Jersey State Society ; is known as the Essex County District Society. This branch has regular officers. The members wear badges, which give them power, under the State laws, to cause instant arrest or fine in cases of cruelty. Our Committee on Railroads and Stations attends to both the steam, trolley and ferry service, investigating complaints and carrying them to the proper authorities, etc. This Committee issues small blank books to the commuters on the steam cars with spaces for specific complaints against the service. These are returned once a month, new ones being furnished, the reports are condensed and forwarded to the Railroad, Ferry Company or Traction Company, as the case may be. The Alms and Humanitarian Committee has for work the visiting of the Poorhouse, supplying the inmates with reading matter ; visiting the female prisoners in the station houses, if necessary ; and has leased a house which it supports as a Day Nursery. During the last month 300 children were cared for ; 4,000 during the past year. The Day Nursery has a matron and an assistant. The Committee on the Preservation of the Beauty of the Oranges has laid out and cared for Military Common and two other small parks. Military Common has been reclaimed from an unsightly eyesore to a beautiful little park with rare and handsome shrubbery. This Committee is a hard working one, depending for support on public subscriptions. Last year a landscape and regular gardeners were employed. This year we are working to raise money to be able to do more. We are a society of women, and being women, having no power, we regard ourselves as agitators of public opinion. " The Oranges" is largely a residential community, the larger part of the male population being New York business men. The women of Orange feel this municipal housekeeping to be their legitimate work. The work of the Society thus briefly sketched out gives but a faint idea of the work actually performed. In the two years of its existence much opposition from conservative minds has had to be met and overcome, and much in this line is yet to be accomplished before the Society reaches its greatest usefulness ; in the meantime, however, we keep steadily on in the paths already laid out, believing that actions, in this case at least, speak louder than words. 88 Mrs. A. F. Schneider, of Perth Amboy, followed with a short account of the work done in her town. Our association was only organized last April, when Mrs. Scrimgeour was with us. The impetus however was first given us by a talk on Village Im- provements by Mrs. Ben;j. Williamson, of Elizabeth, last winter, before our literary club. So far we have met with a great deal to encourage us, the press and the city officials are with us, we are steadily gaining new members, which is saying a great deal for a town as conservative and as far behind the times as Perth Amboy, which never knew such a thing as a women's club of any kind until last winter. We feel particularly encouraged by the enthusiasm and interest of the children in this work, because we know we are going to reach the poorer class of people through them as we could not hope to do in any other way. There are seven hundred members now in our Children's Aid Auxiliary, I heartily endorse what Mrs. Scrimgeour said in regard to the children, for we believe emphatically they are the most hopeful and effectual part of the work we are undertaking. Best of all, we see an improvement in the condition of our streets, which were in a most disgraceful condition, and we are raising money for a much needed drinking fountain. (MRS. A. F.) JENNIE H. SCHNEIDER. This concluded the papers for the afternoon. Mrs. Scribner, of Philadelphia, then rose and announced that the next convention would be held in her city, and ex- tended a hearty and most cordial invitation to the New York society to attend it. Mrs. Ellen Richardson, of Boston, followed her with an invitation to the Society to attend a Home Making Congress in Boston in October. A discussion followed as to the advisability of organizing a National Federation of Health Protective Associations. It was thought by Mrs. Scribner of Philadelphia, that such an organization would be most helpful, that important papers could be circulated among the various societies, and that annual meetings for the discussion of the work accomplished would be invaluable. It was moved by Mrs. C. Williams of New York, seconded by Mrs. Amies of Philadelphia, that a committee of five be 39 appointed by the Chair to consider the affiliation of Health Protective Associations, prepare a constitution, and report at the meeting in Philadelphia. Carried. The members selected at the meeting were Mrs. M. E. Trautmann, of New York, Chairman. Mrs. C. Fendler, of New York. Mrs. J. Scrimgeour, of Brooklyn. Mrs. I. B. Oakley, of Pittsburg. Mrs. J. H. Scribner, of Philadelphia. Mrs. Ellen Richardson of Boston, offered to publish reports of the meetings in her paper, The Business Folio. After votes of thanks had been given to the New York society by the visiting members for their hospitality to the visiting members, and to the visiting members for their able papers, the afternoon session adjourned. GENIE H. ROSENFELD, Recording Secretary. 40 HEN the meeting was called to order for the evening session of the Convention of Health Protective Associations, the flower-decked platform pre- ^ sented a brilliant appearance, that was highly- gratifying to the ladies of the New York Association, who had been working so hard to ensure the success of the occasion. In the chair was the Hon. William L. Strong, Mayor of the City of New York, on his right was Mrs. M. E. Trautmann, President of the Ladies Health Protective Association, and on his left, Mrs. M. E. Newton, First Vice-President of the Association. Beside Mrs. Trautmann, sat the Hon. Charles G. Wilson, President of the New York Board of Health, and Captain Gibson, Deputy Commissioner of Street Cleaning ; beside Mrs. Newton, were seated the Hon. Theodore Roosevelt, President of the Board of Police, and Dr. Moreau Morris, Vice-Chairman of the Mayor's Committee on Baths and Houses of Public Comfort; the Secretary's chair being occupied by Mrs. Genie H. Rosenfeld, Recording Secretary of the Association. In opening the proceedings, the Mayor said : " Friends : " I feel it a great pleasure and privilege to be here to-night, presiding over such a body of intelligent, earnest and hard working women. The work of the Ladies Health Protective Association of New York City, has been long and favorably know to me, and as I have watched the Association in its steady upward course, I have frequently said to myself : ' What would this city be without its good women!' " It is a well-known fact that the city of New York has been the worst managed city in the world, always excepting Chi- cago. Chicago is always excepted from everything. You 41 don't need that I turn back for you the dark pages of our city's history, and let you con anew the stories of greed, rapacity and malfeasance, that have soiled the fame of our fair city. The past is dead ; it is to the living present and hoped for future, that we turn our gaze, and therefore we will keep the volume of history closed. Suffice it to say, that it is to the energies of this little band of women, that we are indebted for the condition our city is in to-day, and to no one else. u This Society was the first that attempted to clean the Augean stables of the City of New York, it has accomplished for the city what no one else could, and the crowning glory of its work appears in the street cleaning of to-day. " From the moment the women took hold, improvement began. " The improvements of the Charitable Institutions is owing to the women of our city, as well as the separating of the Charities and Corrections, the improvement of the Tombs and the appropriation of $100,000., to improve the Almshouses. The foundations of all these great works were laid by the good women of the City of New York. " Foreigners coming to our city now speak of it as the cleanest city of the world ; and that it is so, and that so much other good work has been accomplished and projected, is due to the energy and example of the Ladies Health Protective Association." The Mayor then called upon the President, Mrs. Trautmann, for a summary of the work of the Society during the last twelve years. Mrs. Trautmann's paper ran as follows : TWELVE YEARS' WORK OF THE LADIES HEALTH PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION. By Mrs. M. E. Trautmann, President. N November, 1884, eleven women residing on Beekman Hill, whose houses are beautifully located on a high bluff overlooking the East River, with everything desir- able to make them healthful, were so outraged at the con- tinuance of the foul odors which polluted the atmosphere of the entire neighborhood, causing them to keep windows 42 closed in the hottest weather, and depriving them of their inalienable right to pure air, that they resolved to investigate the cause of this nusiance. Accordingly, they made a tour of the neighborhood, in that section of the city known as the Abattoir District, which runs on First avenue from Forty-third to Forty-seventh streets. Their first visit was a revelation, and while they returned to their homes ill from the inspection, and the discovery of the nuisance by which they had so long been tortured, they decided that some action must be taken to better the condi- tions. The following morning their number was increased to fif- teen, and it was resolved that these women should form them- selves into an organization, to be known as the Ladies Health Protective Association. The first action of the new society, was to proceed against the nuisance which had been causing them so much discom- fort. This was an enormous accumulation of manure, 20,000 ton, 30 feet in height, 200 feet in length, which was in a decayed and reeking condition, the steam issuing from it filling an area of miles with its vile odors. This abominable nuisance was maintained by Michael Kane, who, with a brother-in-law a Senator at Albany, was able, with his political backing, to defy all law and decency. The manure in its rotted state was of much more value as a fertilizer, and Mr. Kane's revenue was largely increased by letting the vile stuff remain there to rot, while an entire community was made to suffer. Our first step was to appear before the Grand Jury, and Mr. Kane was indicted for maintaining a public nuisance. He cared very little for this action, as he had several indictments holding over him, which had always been pigeon-holed, and he thought this one would travel thejsame road. But it was his first experience with women, and he did not realize what that meant. He was tried before Judge Barrett, in the Court of Oyer and Terminer, and after a trial lasting for four days, through which he was defended by that able lawyer Algernon Sullivan, he was convicted, and found guilty of maintaining a public nuisance. Before sentence was imposed upon him, Judge Barrett gave him thirty days to remove the accumulation, and he was compelled to employ a large force of men to accom- plish it. From that time, until the present, we have never ceased our vigilance, and while Mr. Kane made every effort to continue the nuisance in a covert manner, he finally became amenable to the law, and to-day his business causes us very little discomfort. In those days our officials were very indifferent, and as this was the first time women had attempted to interfere with any of their duties, they looked upon our action with great dis- 43 favor, and met us with antagonism at every step. General Shaler, then President of the Health Board, when called upon the witness stand during the trial, stated that he had neither visited nor had a report of that section of the city for over six years. He was found derelict in his duty, and reprimanded. After the verdict against Mr. Kane, we were told by Com- missioner French, a member of the Health Board, that he was surprised at the verdict, and we were interfering in matters that did not concern us. This was the beginning of our work, and on the 9th of December, 1885, we secured our State charter, and became an organization for the purpose of sanitary improvement of our city. Notwithstanding our victory with Mr. Kane, a little further experience proved to us what a herculean task we had under- taken. We were, however, earnest women, fully aroused to the necessity of action for the benefit of those who were less fortunate in life, and unable to help themselves. In close proximity to the manure ground were the slaughter houses, where meat was killed and dressed for daily con- sumption, and adjoining them was the Fat Rendering and Bone Boiling Establishment of Messrs. RafTerty & Williams. The state of affairs here was simply apalling, and we wondered how the occupants of the tenement houses all around that section were able to exist ; the only solution to the problem being, the counter action of the salt air, as they were so close to the river front. We were confronted with 55 dirty little pens, called slaughter houses, the proprietors of which, seemed to be per- fectly satisfied, and devoid of any idea of improvement. The slaughtering was done in the presence of children, who stood before the doors, and became so utterly demoralized, that the sight of blood was no more to them than so much running water. The walls and floors of these pens reeked with filth, and the meat, when slaughtered, was hung on large hooks over the curbstone, there to swarm with flies, and catch all the dust and dirt of the neighborhood. The cattle were driven through the streets in droves, and when they reached the slaughter houses, were confined in cellars, the air of which was so stifling and fetid, that the poor creatures could be seen clambering over each other, in frantic efforts to reach up to the gratings, for a breath of fresh air. In the bone boiling works, the odors were overpowering, and on investigation, we found, that the bones were collected from the retail butchers, whenever it best suited the convenience of Messrs. Rafferty & Williams, regardless whether they had remained a week, or a month, in the shops. Our course for the abolishment of this nuisance, was an appeal to the higher authorities, by the presentation of a bill to the Legislature, where, as we expected, we were defeated ; 44 but the amount of money it cost the butchers to defeat the bill, caused them to recognize the fact, that we intended to effect reform in their establishments. This effort caused a joint conference, held with a committee from our association, and four of the butchers having the largest interest, who represented all of the butchers in the city, the result being a compromise, we agreeing to take no further legislative pro- ceedings, if they would adopt the list of reforms which we had prepared, they in turn accepting all of our suggestions. While the money consideration in the Legislature, had been a great incentive to consider the reforms we asked, our demands were so great, that they found it was much cheaper to tear down the old pens they were using and erect new buildings, and to-day, the business is carried on in three model abattoirs, furnished with all the improved machinery known to modern science. Messrs. Schwarzchild & Sulzberger, were the first to erect one of these model abattoirs ; they were followed by Messrs. Fleischauer & Co., with one for smaller stock, and since our last report, a fine abattoir has been erected by the United States Dressed Beef Co., the former, and latter, taking in almost the entire blocks between Forty-third and Forty- fourth streets, and Forty-fifth to Forty-sixth streets, from First avenue to East River. The Bone Boiling and Fertilizing establishment owned by Messrs. Rafferty & Williams, was an intolerable nuisance, not only from the fact that the bones were collected from retail butcher shops, when they were several weeks old, but that these, when going through the process of boiling, to be made into fertilizer, gave off odors that permeated the atmosphere for miles, and caused misery and discomfort to hundreds of people. It seems almost incredible, that such a nuisance could have existed for so many years in a civilized community. This has been entirely abolished, and Rafferty & Williams, have gone out of business. The ferti- lizing manufacture is now carried on in connection with the abattoirs, the bones are not only collected daily, but all offal and bones are consumed every day, and converted into the fertilizer while in their fresh state. The building in which this process is in operation, has been built in the most scientific manner, and every effort is made by the owners, to render this business as unobjectionable as possible, and they spare no expense, in placing the most improved dryers and condensers for the suppression of the odors. As our membership had largely increased by this time, and we were working step by step, taking one nuisance after the other, we divided ourselves into standing committees, and tried again to secure the co-operation of our municipal authorities. We prefer this manner of doing our work, and al- ways do our best to avoid antagonizing any of the authorities. We carefully avoid taking any note of politics in our work ; we 46 are entirely and absolutely non partisan, both as to officials and party. We want the right man in the right place, and when there, will do our best to keep him, no matter what party is in power. In the change of administration, we had a change in the President of the Health Board, and Mr. J. Baylis was appointed. From that time matters began to improve, but it was not until 1889, when Mr. C. G. Wilson was appointed President of the Board of Health, that we could say we had practical and valuable co-operation. When this gentleman was appointed, we were doubtful whether so many changes were best, as the work had to be well understood. In a short time, however, we were inspired with confidence, when we found that Mr. Wilson was not only practical, but a thorough business man, having his inspectors work, and working hard himself ; not only making personal inspections during the day, but many times leaving his bed at night, to trace odors and investigate causes. To day he has our confidence to such an extent, that we know when we send in a complaint, or ask assistance of the Board, we will not be required to take any further steps in the matter, and the evil will be remedied. We have never worked on theories, but on facts, pure and simple. We next turned our attention to the gas houses, and through our efforts, much of this nuisance has been suppressed. Many of the companies have been compelled to put in new con- densers, and the old method of emptying the lime boxes has been abolished, and oxide of iron, used in its place. The sponge is kept well covered, and when the boxes are opened, is the means of condensing the odors. We hope to have further improvements in this direction. Our attention was next directed to the filthy condition of our streets, and the slovenly method of the handling, and disposing of our gar- bage. It makes me weary now when I look back upon our efforts along this line, and think of the many discouragements we had to contend with. The cry of each commissioner, was the lack of sufficient appropriation, and the impossibility to eliminate politics from the department. This was in a measure true, but even with these obstacles, we could not see the least effort towards improvement. In those days this Association had small cards printed, and sent to householders, asking them to aid the department, by burning all their garbage in their kitchen ranges. This feeble effort was well considered in the residential quarters ; but the mountain before us, was the tenement houses. During Mayor Hewitt's term of office, we drafted and pre- sented to him a memorial, hoping, by our suggestion, to secure some co-operation. Like the rest, it did not receive much attention, but we were determined to renew our efforts. 48 One of the greatest difficulties in the way of keeping the streets clean was the storing of trucks, carts, etc., in the public highways. This was not only an obstruction to the proper cleaning ot the streets, but the trucks afforded sleeping quarters for tramps, and from a moral standpoint were a disgrace to the city. During the administration of Mayor Gilroy, we called his attention to this evil. He received our protest with surprise, and asked us what we expected the people to do with their vehicles. We said : 4 ' Store them ! " The Mayor said, how- ever, that it could not be done in a city like this. Colonel Waring has, however, given us a proof that it can be done, and also that we can have a very clean city. Under his able and efficient administration, we no longer see a set of decrepit, broken down old men handling the broom in our streets, as if it were a pastime given them to keep them out of mischief. Neither do we see our garbage and ash receptacles, on the edge of the curbstones, filled to overflowing, and standing for hours, nor yet our streets filled with litter. On the contrary, our streets are like our homes, kept well swept and cared for. We were delighted with the parade of Colonel Waring's men on the 26th of May, and it was received with favor by all of our citizens. It was an innovation, and those who went to scoff were the loudest in their praise. It was the first time in the history of this department, that the men could feel some self-respect, that their work was recognized as one of the great departments of our municipality. With self-respect, the con- dition of the men is elevated, and much better work is now done for the money expended. We will never go back to the days of filth and dirt again, for the women of our city, will never allow the old state of affairs to return. The solution of the problem as to the final disposition of garbage, seems to be a difficult one, and we have been some- what discouraged over the delay with this question. We hope that now the contract has been given, whatever is done, whether cremation or utilization, the trimming of the scows will be abolished, and all of the work done outside of the city limits. We also hope to have the care of the sidewalks under the jurisdiction of Colonel Waring, and to have boxes placed at the corners of the streets throughout the city, for the use of citizens to throw paper, fruit rinds, and odds and ends in. We consider this will largely prevent the untidiness of our sidewalks. The school question has been a very earnest one. We have had a Committee on School Hygiene, which, with the co-operation of the School Board, has accomplished many sanitary reforms in our public schools. We have been very much pleased with the co-operation of the Board, and we know much more would have been done if the appropriation had been sufficient. Many of our school houses are in 47 districts that were sparsely settled when they were erected, but with the increase of population, are now entirely hemmed in by tenement houses and factories. The buildings are old, and it seems like waste of money to make any attempt to re-model them. With the appointment, by our present Mayor Strong, of women inspectors, we hope with their co-operation to achieve further results. The question of police matrons and municipal lodging houses, has always been one of deep interest to us, and we have done our share by both legislative and personal effort, towards these reforms. Before trie appointment of matrons, all prisoners, both male and female, were cared for by the door-keeper. There are at present about thirty matrons in our city station houses. Under our present Board of Police Commissioners, a great change has been made in the system ; all matrons, before they receive their appointment, must pass through a course of lectures given to them by the police surgeons, thus enabling them to tell the difference between intoxication and illness, and to render assistance accordingly. When we realize what has been accomplished through this reform, we feel a great deal of satisfaction for all of the hard work done to effect it. We also rendered our assistance in the appointment of women as factory inspectors, and went several times to Albany in behalf of the passage of that bill, which is now such a success throughout the State. The unsanitary habit of keeping cows shut up in stables in this city, was a subject of consideration to us, especially as the poor animals were fed entirely on brewer's grains, and were kept in a filthy condition. After much efficient work of our committee, we finally succeeded in having this nuisance abolished, and the cows removed from the city. The unsanitary condition of the surface and elevated cars, and the public buildings, in consequence of the vile habit of men and boys spitting over the floors, has given us much trouble, and we have appealed to presidents and managers of the roads time and time again, to effect a reform. We could not see why men should indulge in such a vile practice, to the discomfort of women and children, and the danger of health to all. We took the matter to the Health Board, and urged the necessity for action. After six weeks the Board took the subject in hand from a scientific standpoint, and after an investigation by their bacteriologists, Dr. Biggs and Dr. Prudden, they were convinced that something must be done. The first idea was to try education by moral suasion — we had our doubts about this course — and in the early part of May, were highly gratified to learn that the Board of Health had issued an ordinance, prohibiting spitting on the floors of cars, ferry boats, public stations, and public buildings, and ordered placards placed in all cars, both surface and elevated, 4:S and in all ferry houses and public buildings, calling the attention of the public to this ordinance. Public baths for winter, as well as summer, has been given much thought by the Association, and we will be very happy when the Mayor's committee put the appropriation they have received for this purpose to practical use. The committee have been most efficient, and Dr. Moreau Morris will give us a most valuable paper on this subject and the work they will accomplish, in which we will co-operate in every possible way. There is no greater education for the poor of our city than cleanliness, and we hope, with these public baths and houses, to see a marked improvement in the occupants of our tenement houses. We have had a Committee on the Sanitary Inspection of Stores, and have co-operated with the Consumers' League, to the extent that in their inspection of the stores, all sanitary violations are reported to our Association, and our committee take immediate action. We are happy to say that the proprietors are always ready to receive our suggestions, and follow them as far as circumstances will allow. With the passage of the Rhinehardt Mercantile Bill, and the power in the hands of the Health Board, we feel this work will be done systematically, and on business principles. We hope women will receive recognition in these appointments, and that those selected will be of the highest intelligence, possess- ing good judgment, for only such can be a credit to the department, and give satisfaction to all they come in contact with . The evils existing in bake shops, in their filthy condition, has lately been brought to our notice, and we rendered our assistance and co-operation for the passage of the bill by the last Legislature, and also made our appeal to the Governor for his signature. The work in this line is too great to dwell on in this paper, and the field is a new one to us, but we shall take it up in the autumn, and know we shall succeed in having great improvements made in the sanitary condition of the bake shops, and feel that what we consume from day to day will be handled and prepared as it should be, in a cleanly manner, and not by over-worked, careless men. We fully realize the necessity of immediate action of our Association, and the co-operation by the Health Board, by facts that have been brought to our notice. We succeeded in getting an ordinance passed by our Health Board, prohibiting the exposure of meat and poultry, which were hung on hooks before the retailbutcher shops, and now it is entirely abolished. To-day no one realizes the benefit of this reform more than the butchers themselves, and many of them have expressed their thanks to us for it. The tenement house problem has always been one of great consideration to us, and while we have done some work 49 towards the sanitary improvement, it has only been a drop in the bucket. The field is too large for a small association having so many other lines of reform, and we now confine our efforts to co operating with the Health Board, and the Committee for Improved Housing for the Poor, and advising with them as to the best methods, etc. We know there is a great advance of thought along these lines, and a number of capitalists are now ready to build a large number of new houses, with all improvements, and the Health Board, in the line of march, is ordering the demolition of very many of the old rookeries called rear tenements. Our latest work has been an investigation of the Alms House on Blackwell's Island, and we are confident of securing the much needed improvements there, as there has been a large appropriation given by our Legislature for new buildings. During our twelve years of work, we have given attention to the Croton water, and the milk supply, both of which now are well under control of the Health Board. We have neglected nothing that tends towards the protec- tion of public health. We hope to see a system of small parks established throughout our city, for the benefit of suffering children. We have also made an effort to have trees planted throughout our city, but under the old adminis- tration were told it could not be done, as they would not thrive, etc., and the expense was too great. I am happy to state that it can be done under our present Mayor, who has taken the chairrhanship of a committee, and an association will be formed to begin this work at once — and we shall join it We are now hoping to effect, through the Health Board, a reform by which the exposure of green vegetables and fruits before the small grocery stores will be prohibited. The dust and dirt of our great city, the street sweepings, the shaking of mats from windows, etc., make it undesirable that any food should be openly exposed on sidewalks. Fruits and vegetables decay more quickly when exposed to the air, and it is a practice of many grocers, to sell the half decayed and withered stuff to second-class customers, at a reduced price. We should like the sale of sliced fruit prohibited, the penny slices of musty melon and rotting pineapple only mean cholera infantum ; we would like the sticks of candy, and the cocoanut in pans of water, both coated thick with dust, to be warned off our sidewalks, or else forced to be kept under a glass covering. We have asked the co-operation of the Police Department, which has been promised us by President Roosevelt, and his colleagues, and it is the first time in the history of this Asso- ciation, that we have received any recognition from that department. 90 In all of our efforts we have aimed at consistency, and have realized that where men have put all their capital and energy into the building up of a business, that even if the business was in itself a nuisance, time must be given to effect reform, and that we must not demand of any one to tear down, in a short time, that which had taken years of labor to build up. We follow, as much as possible, the title of Charles Reade's great novel : ki Put Yourself in His Place." On February 24, 1891, we became so convinced of the im- portance of our work, that we sought and obtained a National charter, in addition to our State charter, and now there are no limits but those of human endurance to the good work we can do Under our present administration, with the heads of all the great departments willing to assist us, we feel so encouraged in our efforts, that we wonder how any of our citizens allowed any other state of affairs. Cleanliness raises the moral standard, and with the aid of the officials mentioned, and the strongest of all aids, the press — who have always given us the most valuable assistance (to whom we express our thanks), our Empire City can be made what it ought to be — the greatest in the world. At the conclusion of the paper, the Mayor rose and said : u I didn't say quite enough just now about the energy and power of the women of this Society. Four or five years ago I was passing a livery stable ; a gentleman was standing in the entrance, complaining of the dirty and malodorous condition of the stable. Said he, ' If you don't have this cleaned right away, I'll report you to the Ladies Health Protective Associa- tion." " Oh, for God's sake, don't," said the man, u but come down town again next week, and see if it isn't clean." His Honor then introduced Dr. Harriet C. Keatinge, who read the following paper on Stable Refuse, written by the Chairman of the Committee on Stable Refuse, Mrs. C. Fendler : 5 u$& ■ 51 During our twelfth year, let us pause awhile, and look back to the time, when we were forced to neglect our household duties, and turn our attention to public work— work that officials have been paid to perform. Our homes were impregnated with the vilest imaginable odors. There were times when we dared not open our windows, for fear that the stifling air that invaded the streets, would affect our children. It seems hardly credible that such a state of affairs should exist in a city like New York, but nevertheless it was a posi- tive fact. When we, a small band of women, first undertook this work, we had no idea what we had to combat. The officials did their work undisturbed, whether right or wrong, good or bad. No one dared to interfere, censure or correct. They looked upon us as intruders. Mayor Grace was amazed at our undertaking. President Shaler of the Health Department thought it was audacious to attack officials, and more especially a man like himself, who always exercised despotic power, and who always ruled supreme. Police Commissioner French, questioned us as if he were interrogating a lot of criminals ; nevertheless we did not shirk. When we found those officials who were supported by public money were unmoved, and the pure air God provided for every human being was denied us, there was nothing left for us to do, but resort to the justice of our courts. Michael Kane, who maintained a nuisance of stable refuse thirty feet high and two hundred feet in length, was proceeded against. We appeared before the Grand Jury, and procured an indictment against him, and we successfully proved, not only our rights to pure air, but also the moral force of our Associ- ation. Michael Kane was found guilty. When the Judge pronounced sentence, he said he would only fine him $250.00, in consideration of the great expense he had in removing 40,000 tons of stable refuse. At the same time, he was warned by the Judge, that if he were convicted of a similar offence again, he would go to the Penetentiary. A few months after this, our attention was called to a bill introduced in the Legislature by Senator Cullen, a brother-in-law of Michael Kane, which, if suc- cessful, would not only have frustrated all our efforts, but would virtually re- move all power from the Board of Health and the Courts, and enable him to keep an accumulation in the upper part of the city. We took immediate action to protest against this bill, and appointed a committee from the Association, to proceed to Albany at once. With this committee of ladies, were a commit- tee from the Academy of Medicine, one from the Board of Health, and one from the Society for Improving the Condition of the Poor. On our arrival, we learned the bill had passed the Senate, and was in the Assembly, but after a hearing before the Governor, and two days' hard work, the ladies had the sat- isfaction of defeating the bill, the gentlemen of the other committees giv- ing them the credit for it. Pits under the sidewalk were used both by public and private stables. The refuse was allowed to remain in these pits for months at a time, there to decay, and send up foul odors with every change of weather. When finally removed, it was forked onto the sidewalk, from thence into the carts, to the great annoyance of the passer-by, and then to the dumps, littering the streets through which they passed. When finally dumped, it was left for years for the ripening process. Meantime, with a permit from the Health Board, it was forked over again and again, thus separating the straw, as this too has a commercial value, and the separating greatly enhanced the value of the refuse as. a fertilizer. While this was in progress the atmosphere, (par- ticularly if heavy) was polluted for twenty surrounding blocks, compelling 52 residents within that area to close their windows. Our first work was to urge the Board of Health to prohibit the use of these pits, which was finally done, and stablemen compelled to load the refuse on the premises with closed doors. Even the Fire Department stables had to conform to this rule. Ven- tilation was secured through the roof, for confining the odor meant to ruin the carriages, thereby showing if injurious to a varnished surface how much more so to the delicate membrane of human throats. After a few months' respite, Michael Kane's nuisance began anew. Instead of using the dumping grounds, they stationed immense floats around the dock, and made a dumping ground out of them. Not only they made a dumping ground out of them, but they raked, sorted, and separated the straw under the docks and behind fences. They dodged us in every direction, and as the Board of Health was favorable to them, we were helpless until President Wilson assumed the office. He personally investigated every dump, and every stable of any note, and by that, learned the necessity of giving us a helping hand. He therefore summoned this firm, as we threatened to indict them again ; they appeared with their council, whose reputation as a lawyer was well established ; we had a fierce battle to fight, but were finally victorious. They had to conduct the business in a manner more in accordance with sanitary laws. All per- mits for raking and separating the straw were revoked, and we could breath once more. Our next attention was given to the investigation of small stables. Many of the small stables were situated in the rear of tenement houses, occupied by bak- ers, butchers and grocers. In some instances the horses had to be led through the stores, hallways and even through living rooms into the stable. In order to remove these stables, we had many consultations with the officers of the Board of Health, and, as it was proven that these stables were a positive detri- ment to young children, they were crowded out of the tenement house district into regular stables, where they can be under the supervision of the Health Department, so that the fact remains that not a single stable is allowed in these localities at the present day. Although the nuisance was greatly abated, with the best efforts of the Health Department, there were about 4,385 stables to supervise. Between the stablemen and the contractors the work is immense. With the consent of the Board of Health, we thought it best to make a radical improvement by taking Legislative action, in order to put the refuse in a compressed state, either in bales or in barrels. We also had the endorsement of the lights of the medical profession, such as Doctors A. Jacobi, Stephen Smith, E. G. Janeway, D. B. St. John Roosa, F. R. Sturgis, Timothy F. Allen, Homer H. Ostrom and other physicians, together with such eminent chemists as C. F. Chandler and R. Ogden Doremus. After our bill was favorably reported in the Assembly, the stablemen came to Albany in swarms. The result was, might predominated over right, and we were told that our bill would never get out of the Senate Committee Room, which proved to be a fact. We did not look upon this as a defeat, as we convinced the community at large of the necessity of this action. The Board of Health proposed to enact a clause in their Sanitary Code, providing for the refuse to be removed in its fresh state every 24 hours. We accepted this as an experiment. Since this ordinance, about 400 Criminal Notices for not re- moving manure daily, or baling same as required by Sec. 100, Sanitary Code, 58 were sent out, 200 civil suits brought, 300 nuisances abated on Criminal Notices. We hope before the expiration of the present year the nuisance will be abated, not only to our satisfaction, but to the satisfaction of the whole community. CECILIA E. FENDLER. This excellent paper was followed by one on Slaughter Houses, read by Mrs. Clara M. Williams, written by the Chairman of the Committee on Slaughter Houses, Mrs. S. Baum : CONDITION OF SLAUGHTER HOUSES AND SYSTEM OF SLAUGHTERING IN NEW YORK before and since the organization of the Ladies' Health Protective Association. Of all the different branches of work taken up by this Association, the greatest results were achieved in the reform of the condition of the slaughter houses. If we go back to our earliest recollections of the same, it seems almost incredible, that such a state of affairs could have existed in such a great city, and would probably still exist, had not this band of brave women, in spite of the annoyances and abuses which they had to encounter, armed with the deter- mination of ridding the suffering community of this great nuisance, declared war against the originators. The slaughter houses were located from Forty- third to Forty-seventh Streets, First Avenue to the East River, and from Thirty-ninth to Forty-first Streets, and Eleventh Avenue and the Hudson River, and extreme West Fifty-ninth Street. The attention of the Association was first drawn to this prevailing nuis- ance, by the disgusting odors which emanated therefrom, permeating the atmosphere for blocks around them. Those on the east side were the first investigated. The Committee found a mass of tumble-down buildings, reeking with the odors of putrid blood, which the wooden flooring had absorbed for years. They numbered fifty five. Upon request, Dr. John C. Peters, at that time, the greatest authority on Sanitary Science, accompanied the Committee, and proved that the blood had been absorbed down to the very foundation. The slaughtering was done with doors wide open, before which crowds of spectators were gathered, including school boys of all ages. The small 54 stock, (sheep and lambs) were killed in the cellars of these buildings, right at the entrance, and here the smallest children of both sexes could be seen daily, watching with eagerness, so that the sight of blood had no more effect upon them than so much running water. Live cattle were driven in herds through the streets, endangering the lives of thousands of persons. While slaughtering, they committed the cruelty of letting the other victims watch the last agonies of their mates, and the dumb creatures seemed to know what was in store for them. To pass on the side of the street where the abattoirs were situated, was almost an impossibility, so thronged were the sidewalks with wagons, ready to receive the beef, which hung od the edge of curb, upon hooks, driven into wooden bars. This beef not only accumulated all the dust and dirt flying about, but was also a convenient rendezvous for all the flies in the neighbor- hood. The sidewalk and roadway were littered with pieces of hides, hoof and intestines, and little pools of blood could be seen everywhere. Several appeals were made to the Board of Health, of which Gen. Schaler was then President, but no satisfactory results were achieved. So the Association determined to take steps to drive this business from the city. An investigation of Mr. T. Eastman's abattoir on West Fiity-ninth Street, convinced the ladies that slaughtering in the city could be carried on without being objectionable, as Mr. T. Eastman had spared no cost in placing in his establishment, such appliances as would render the business both clean and unobjectionable. The proprietors of the other abattoirs were requested to put similar improvements into their buildings. This resulted in promises which were never realized, and tbe Association finally prepared a bill, re- questing that no slaughtering should be permitted below Spuyten Duyvel, and sent the same to Albany. It was presented by Senator Gibbs of the Senate, and Gen. Barnum in the Assembly. Whilst the bill was pending, Messrs. Rafferty & Williams, who owned a bone boiling establishment in the midst of the slaughtering houses on the east side, sent word to the Association that they would be willing to pay $3,000.00 yearly, to any inspector which the Association might appoint, in order to assure the ladies that they would keep their factory in a sanitary condition. The ladies refused to enter upon any negotiations, and the sub- ject was dropped. Owing to the wealth of the butchers, who brought all their influence to bear, (fearing the results, should the Association be successful,) the bill pre- sented by the L. H. P. A. was defeated This did not discourage the ladies, however ; the defeat only added to their zeal, and they were determined to prepare another bill, hoping to be more successful the following year. At about this time, a bill was presented at Albany by Messrs. White & Company, requesting the privilege of killing swine, promising not to extend their business beyond West 40th and 41st Streets on the river front. Senator Gibbs and General Barnum objected to the presentation of this bill, without the sanction of the L. H. P. A. After investigating, the ladies finally gave their consent, as that would concentrate the swine killing to one section of the city, whereas they were at the time killing in many places, scattered throughout the entire city. Shortly after the defeat of the bill, a meeting was called by our Association, to which the proprietors of the principal abattoirs were invited. This 56 resulted in a compromise, the ladies agreeing not to send in another bill, if the proprietors would act upon suggestions for improvements, of which the most important ones were the substituting of asphalt flooring instead of wooden ones, proper drainage, iron bars upon which the beef was to be hung indoors, cattle to be driven no longer through the street, and to give the poor animals proper care in the pens, such as good ventilation and plenty of water to drink, which had formerly been neglected, and not to let them watch the last throes of their mates. The first steps toward improvements were made by Messrs. Schwartzchild & Sulzberger, who built a model abattoir, between East 45-46 streets, occupying a space which had been taken up by twenty different parties. When the abattoir was completed, the L. H. P. A. was invited to come and inspect the same ; a large Committee accepted the invitation, and were highly pleased with the result. Messrs. Rafferty & Williams, who still continued to create a nuisance, to the annoyance of thousands of people, were, through our efforts, compelled by the Board of Health to close their businesss. Following Messrs. Schwartzchild & Sulzberger, Mr. Fleishhauer erected a small abattoir for killing small stock, and last, but by no means least, the United Dressed Beef Co. erected a magnificent abattoir on the S. E. corner of East 45th Street, occupying almost a square block, which consolidated the remaining small concerns. Now that one of the objectionable parts of slaughtering business had been overcome, other evils arose. As the new abattoirs had been built on a very large and improved plan, the proprietors had also put into these buildings all appliances necessary for utilizing every part of the slaughtered animal. The blood, and entrails, which had formerly been collected and sent to Barren Island, to be utilized, were now converted into a fertilizer by means of a machine called a Dryer, and although no means were spared, and every appliance known to science was tried, they could not prevent nauseating odors from pervading the atmosphere, and the neighborhood for blocks around suffered as much as previously. Our Association applied to the Board of Health for relief. Hon. Charles G. Wilson, President of the Board, received the delegation of our Association kindly, and listened patiently to our grievances. An In- spector was placed at our commands, and as often as we wrote or telephoned our complaints, Inspectors were sent to investigate the cause. Sometimes the odors were caused by an imperfection in the pipes or condensers ; some- times by rendering of old fat. It was finally disclosed that most of the establishments, not only collected the leavings or shop fat from all the retail butchers in the city, but also bought up the same from all available cities. The Board of Health granted a hearing to all the large dealers, desiring them to show cause why permits to continue this state of affairs should not be revoked. It was learned that most of the dealers had been carrying on business in this manner, without any permits at all. Our Association entered a protest against any permits being granted for bringing fat into the city. A resolution was passed by the Board of Health, prohibiting fat from being brought into the city, with the exception of large pieces or long fat, 56 which could be brought from adjacent cities without being packed, simply placed upon covered wagons. Owing to our untiring zeal, and constant vigilance on the part of the inspectors from the Health Board, and committees on slaughter houses of our Association, the proprietors of abattoirs had found it to their advantage, to leave no means untried in order to prevent their business from being offensive, and we are now able to say, that the business is nearing a state of perfection which will leave but little room for complaint. Through our efforts an ordinance was recently passed, prohibiting any meat or poultry being hung outside the retail butcher shops, to be exposed to microbes of the air. No one realizes the benefit of this ordinance better than the butchers themselves, although they were at first greatly opposed to the same. This is a summary of the work accomplished during the past twelve years, with a number of minor details, for which we have no time here. We still hope to attain that state of perfection in this branch of our work, that will necessitate the dissolution of the Committee on Slaughter Houses, to seek work in more necessary branches of reform. SARA BAUM. The Mayor then called on the Committee on Gas Houses, and the following paper written by Mrs. J. N. Conner, Chairman, read by Mrs. Mercedes Legh. In 1885 the following problem was presented for solution to the Ladies Health Protective Association : " How can the noxious odors incident to the manufacture of gas in New York City, be obviated ? " Many complaints in regard to an alleged nuisance, arising from the generation of gas, had been received by this Association from those who were compelled by circumstances, to live or work in prox- imity to the various gas-houses in this city. At the meeting of this Association, held in the Autumn of 1885, a committee composed of five members was appointed for the following purposes : First, to ascertain the cause of the alleged nuisance ; Second, to suggest and enforce proper remedies, leading to the suppression of such nuisance, if found. As a preliminary step towards fulfilling the first duty of this committee, we were, after much difficulty, and through the courtesy of Mr. Grahame, enabled to inspect the works then just erected on First Avenue, between 39th and 42d streets. First we were conducted to the so-called purifying room, where the gas, as received from the retorts, is passed through boxes containing chloride of lime, in order that certain impurities may be eliminated. From the lime purifiers, the gas is pumped through scrubbers, scourers, etc. ; and finally into the storage tanks familiar to us all. In itself the process is entirely inodorless, but the companies, in order to save expense, open the purifying boxes, for the purpose of removing the oxide of iron, which has absorbed most of the noxious elements contained in the crude gas, and expose the same in the open air, so that the odors are diffused, and render existence almost intolerable in the neighborhood. After many consultations with the Health Department of this city, we finally induced them to station eight inspectors, and a deputy chief, in the vicinity of the gas works for a period of thirty days. During this peroid an explosion occurred in the works of the Equit- able Gas Co., killing one man and wounding several in addition. After this explosion, the president of the company admitted that improvments might be made in the method of manufacture of gas, but that the company had hesi- tated to institute them, for economical reasons. The initial outlay being great. In 1889, Mayor Grant appointed Charles G. Wilson, President of the Board of Health. Shortly after his installation, Mrs. Fendler, the chairman of the committee, drafted a presentment to the Board of Health, calling their attention to the objectionable features in the manufacture of gas, as then conducted. Mr. Wilson, with his colleagues, immediately took steps toward the supression of the nuisance, and the Board instituted proceedings to compel the abatement of the same. Mr. Grahame, President of the Equitable Gas Co., at that time was indicted for maintaining a nuisance ; tried and convicted, but upon his promise to alleviate the nuisance, sentence was suspended. Further complaints were received from the west side. The officers of the companies were interviewed, denied responsibility, and alleged that the objectionable odors arose from other sources. Your committee ascertained that the nuisance was most pronounced at night, and the President of the Health Board, with Mrs. Ravenhill, former chairman of your com- mittee, made an inspection at 10 P. M. one evening, of the district from which complaints had been made. They learned that the objectionable odors arose from the gas works, situated on West 19th Street, and were caused by the leaving open of the lime purifying boxes. The officials of the Gas Company were warned by Mr. Wilson, and since then com- plaints have been received less frequently. Colonel Dellahanty last Autumn, issued orders compelling the Equitable Gas Company, to find a means before the 1st of April of this year, to prevent the waste oil from emptying into the river, and thereby polluting the air with its noxious odors. Unless this change was made within the time mentioned, they would be forced to remove their plant outside the city limits. At present the oil is emptied into a boat, which is placed under the tank, thereby lessening the nuisance in a measure. The Equitable Company have proposed, as an improvement upon their present method of purifying, to pump the air into the boxes, through a six inch tube, passing from it into another eight inch tube, and thus allowing the gases to pass into or under the water, thus obviating the necessity of uncovering the boxes. Mrs. R. K. Kohut, Chair- man of the Gas Committee on the east side of the city, with Mrs. C. Fendler, and other members of her Committee, have been most zealous in their efforts to indentify the odors, as the Equitable Gas Company have always main- tained that their plant was not the real source of complaint In order to be able to state accurately in their complaint to the Board of Health, the day and hour, several of the Committee have, at different times, with an escort, visited the sections complained of, as late as ten and eleven o'clock at night. The abatement of this nuisance is due to the unceasing vigilance of the members of said Committee. Among the benefits obtained directly by this Committee, is the covering of the boxes containing the oxide of iron, used as a purifying agent by several companies, with tar cloth, thus preventing the escape of objectionable odors. The Standard Gas Company only expose their sponge, at such times as the air is in the direction to blow the odors away from the city. The Equitable Gas Company has been forced to discontinue the former practice of exposing on its piers and wharves, the sponge removed from the purifying boxes. Your committee, in closing this brief report, take pleasure in stating that the officials of the Standard Gas Company, have been most uniformly courteous in their dealings with this Association, and have evinced a sincere desire to assist us in suppressing the nuisances complained of. J. N. CONNOR. The next in sequence was the paper on Sanitary Condi- tion of Streets, written by Mrs. Genie H. Rosenfeld, and read by the Chairman of the Committee, Miss T. Barcalow : STREET CLEANING COMMITTEE. The history of the struggle of this Association with the Street Cleaning Department is too lengthy to be given in the space of a five minutes paper. It would fill a good sized volume. One of the first efforts of our Society was for the proper sprinkling of the streets. It was the rule of the Department that no sprinkling should be done until the month of May, and no matter how dry or dusty March and April might be, no sprinkling was attempted until the calendar said it was time. Such little sweeping as was done in former times, was carried along blithely in all the blustering winds of March and the dusty days of April, without the help of sprinklers to lay the dust, and the unfortunate citizens had to get powdered and choked with dust, and make the best of it. The calendar said April was a showery month, and did its own sprinkling, and if the weather misbehaved itself, that was no reason why the Department should change its accustomed routine. We appealed to the Mayor and the Commissioner ; we urged that the allowance made for the work was insufficient, and that the best results could not be expected without a larger appropriation. All in vain. It seemed as though New York was to vie with Cologne for the palm, and was to become the Banner dirty and malodorous city of the world. But that has all been changed ; w T e have our Waring, and our White Wings, and the City can congratulate itself upon having an era of cleanliness and comfort. We who have struggled, and complained and appealed for ten years against the mismanagement of the department of the City's housekeep- ing, are fully appreciating the order, system and precision with which the work is now being carried on. Our street cleaning troubles seem nearly over, and when we have suc- ceeded in getting the care of the sidewalks under the Street Cleaning Depart- ment, we shall feel that we can rest for awhile on our laurels. 69 The sidewalk question is vexing us a great deal. The statement made at one of Colonel Waring's conferences that the streets were now cleaner than the sidewalks, is perfectly true. It seems amazing what little pride the average citizen takes in the front of his house. Blinds and curtains and ribbons and frippery, are artistically arranged in the windows, and the front stoop is kept passably clean, but the sidewalk can become a skating pond of grease, before the householder will think fit to clear it off. In a block in my street, seven houses wash their sidewalks off every Saturday — the rest haven't been washed since the last rain. There are thirty odd houses each side of the street. We are working on this point, and hope to have an ordinance ai no very late date, insisting that the sidewalks must be cleaned every morning during certain hours. The matter that troubles us most in the Street Cleaning Department, is the disposal of garbage. Our present system is a very wasteful one. Knowing that crematories had been erected and successfully operated in Buffalo, Pittsburg, Des Moines, Milwaukee, Chicago, Detroit, WilmiDgton and New- port, as far back as 18S9 we began to investigate this question. Learning that a small crematory was at work on Coney Island, consuming the waste from the hotels, we visited it, and finding it satisfactory, we sought the services of General Egbert L. Viele, one of our most prominent sanitary engineers, and engaged him to inspect the Merz Cremator in Buffalo. In his report he states "The process deals exclusively with the kitchen refuse. This is kept separate and collected separately at the houses. The inhabitants are forbidden by law, to mix garbage with other refuse. The bones are ground for fertilizers, the rags used for manufacture of paper, the remnants of tin cans are melted to recover the tin, the oil matter is used for soaps or lubricators, and the ashes mixed with other constituents to form other fertilizers." We visited another process of utilization, where the garbage was reduced by naphtha, and a lubricator and fertilizers made from it— and we visited yet another crematory in Washington, the Brown, which required the separation of the ashes from the garbage, and reduced the matter to a fertilizer, market- able at ten dollars a ton. Dead animals were also consumed, and the whole business carried on in an expeditious, cleanly manner, without much expense, and without the slightest odor. We also examined the Engle Cremator, which consumed both ashes and garbage, and which reduced the refuse to a fertilizer. While we do not especially commend any one system of disposing of the city's waste, we cer- tainly would like to see a system in use that did not require the separation of the ashes from the garbage. Our reason for this is, that the garbage or kitchen refuse, being a combination of animal and vegetable matter already in a state of decomposition, is liable to become very offensive in the summer weather, and breed disease and fever in the crowded tenement districts. The garbage can, unless treated with the greatest care, and rinstd with hot soda and water once or twice a week, will soon breed foul kinds of life, and give off a sickening odor. The mixing of ashes with the organic matter deodorizes it, and at the same time disinfects it, and is decidedly healthier. There is, however, a system in use in Buffalo, in connection with the "Merz" which disinfects the cans while they are being emptied. Each garbage cart has a sprinkling apparatus attached to it ; and the driver, as he empties the can, sprinkles it with a disinfectant, subsequently cleaning his own cart by the same method, after dumping the garbage at the place of delivery. It seems 60 to take from the cans all obnoxious odors which would otherwise emanate from them. By washing and scraping once a week, they can be kept perfectly wholesome, and the system of cleaning the cans at the time of dumping, pre- vents any odors from accumulating in them. We protest most strongly against the business of trimming of scows, the raking over of the scows to elimininate the saleable rubbish discarded from the houses, is a dangerous practice and should be abolished. Contagious diseases are undoubtedly disseminated among us, from the overhauling of the rubbish from a great city like this. We are glad that the dumping of the city's waste in the Lower Bay will soon be a thing of the past — we understand that the time for doing this has been extended till July 1st of this year, and we earnestly trust that nothing may prevent the finding and arranging of a proper and healthful disposal of the city's waste before that time, that the horrors of last year may not be repeated. The hotel keepers of Arverne, Rockaway, and several of the towns on the Lower Bay, sent a petition to the Association, begging us to aid them in ridding themselves of this nuisance, which last year spoiled the bathing business along the whole beach, as at certain tides, all kinds of waste, refuse and rubbish were cast up along the shore. While sympathizing with the hotel proprietors, and being willing to aid them, we entered upon this crusade, more that our citizens might not be deprived of the comfort and pleasure of a bath at the various beautiful beaches so happily near us. We earnestly hope that this summer, everyone who wants a surf bath, may be able to enjoy one without disporting himself among melon rinds and straw bottle covers, we shall do all we can to bring this Utoptian state of affairs about, in this line, as in every other that comes under the care of this committee. GENIE H. ROSEXFELD. The Recording Secretary, Mrs. Genie H. Rosenfeld, in the absence of the Chairman of the Committee in School Hygiene, Mrs. Charlotte Errani. read the following report : SCHOOL HYGIENE. A great deal of highly satisfactory work has been done in this department, but a great deal still remains to do, for while the Board of Education is doing all in its power to meet the ever-increasing demand for commodious and well ventilated schools, the appropriation for schools is entirely inadequate to the requirements. Although the Commissioners have listened to all the Associ- ation's complaints, and endeavored to comply with the requests made them, they have been confronted with the grave fact that if they condemned and closed those schools in the lower part of the city, which are ill-ventilated, badly lighted, and have insufficient sanitary arrangements, they would turn upon the streets thousands of children, and deprive them of means of obtain- ing an education, and at the same time so frightfully overcrowd the other schools in the vicinity, that their condition would be worse than the con- 61 demned schools. In this dilemma it has been thought wisest to make the best of such schools as exist, and gradually clear them out and replace them with fine modern buildings. During the past three years, stables have been removed from the vicinity of schools, the keeping of live poultry in Essex Market has been prohibited, as the school house immediately abuts on the Market, and the odors and cackling of the poultry were detrimental to health. Proper places for hanging the coats of children are now provided in most of the schools, and the time of their having to fold up and sit on their little rain soaked garments, has gone by forever. Many complaints of insufficient light, and noisy localities that make both teaching and learning a strain, are sent to the Association. It is hoped, in time, these may all be relieved. The following short report from Mrs. C. Holt, one of the members of our Committee on School Hygiene, may be interesting : Plans and contracts are now under way for seven new school buildings ; plans have been completed since July last for the new school building at Henry, Oliver and Catherine Streets, in the Fourth Ward, but work cannot proceed until title to the property is secured ; condemnation proceedings having been in progress some seventeen months. All of the new schools and annexes have improved methods of heating and ventilating, a supply of warmed fresh air being supplied to each room by means of fans, or blowers. All inlets for fresh air are placed about eight feet above the floor, upon a level with the window sill. The exits for foul air are placed as near the floor level as possible, and those for superheated air near the ceiling, the latter remaining closed at all times unless the temperature ranges above 72° Fahrenheit, when they are automatically opened, and then closed when the temperature falls to 70°. Many of the old school buildings have had improved methods of ventila- tion installed during the past season. It is difficult to accomplish the required amount of work during the short summer vacations, and therefore but slow progress can be made. Following this, came a paper on the unsanitary Feeding and Care of Cows, written by Mrs. M. E. Schoen, Chairman of Committee, and read by Miss Cynthia Westover : THE UNSANITARY FEEDING AND CARE OF COWS. In the year 1885, I found existing in a block near my neighborhood, bounded by Fifth and Madison Avenues, between Ninety-first and Ninety-second Streets, a horrible state of affairs. The entire block was occupied by Italians, and was well-known in New York as " Little Italy." The miserable shanties were in a most filthy condition, having no drainage, and no water facilities. Yet hundreds of those poor people were paying high rents, exacted from them by wealthy proprietors, and living in a state of squalor and misery. The odors emanating from these places were 02 such, that people living blocks away were obliged to keep their windows closed. Also from Eighty-ninth to Ninety-third Streets, there were kept in confinement more than three hundred cows, in little stalls without drainage, or water facilities, fed on brewers' grains, standing in their own filth, and the milk from these cows was sold for pure country milk, causing a great deal of sickness and death in families, especially among young children. I made a statement to the Ladies Health Protective Association in regard to the matter, and also became a member of the Association. We immediate ly formed a committee, and in less than two years the cows were gone, the Italians were in pleasant healthful quarters, paying less rent and having good water facilities. The block is now covered by private residences, worth hundreds of thousands. Goats also were allowed to run the streets, and I have been obliged to call upon the now Chief of Police Conlin, who was then Captain of Police of the 88th Precinct to "arrest" the goats, to keep them from destroying our door mats, and otherwise causing great annoyance. I am happy to say that this is but a small proportion of the grand work which has been accomplished in this city by the Ladies Health Protective Association. M. E. SCHOEN. The subject of the Sanitary Condition of Cars was next treated in a paper written and read by Mrs. Genie H. Rosenfeld, who prefaced her paper with an extract from the N. Y. Herald of the morning, which stated that spitting in public had been that day declared illegal by the Board of Health. "SPITTING IN PUBLIC ILLEGAL. " If one spits on the floor of a public building, railway car or ferryboat here- after he is liable to be arrested and imprisoned as for the violation of other parts of the Sanitary Code The Board of Health passed a resolution disap- proving of spitting in public places several weeks ago. The Board made the resolution a law yesterday afternoon, by adopting it as section 222 of the Sani- tary Code. The resolution reads : Sec. 222 — Spitting upon the floors of public buildings and railroad cars and of ferryboats is hereby forbidden, and officers in charge and control of all such buildings, cars and boats shall keep posted in such public buildings and in each railroad car and in each ferryboat a sufficient number of notices forbidding spitting upon the floors, and janitors of buildings, conductors of cars and employees upon ferryboats shall call the attention of all violators of this ordinance to such notices. " The full Board voted for the resolution." 63 5ANITARY CONDITION OF CARS. The work of the Committee on the Sanitary Condition of Cars has been untiring, and if energ) T and perseverance are of any use in the world, it cannot be very long before success crowns our efforts. In our records of six years ago, we find notes of descents upon the authori- ties to get " prohibitory placards" placed in the various lines of street cars. Six years ago our Society was alive to the danger, as well as the uncleanli- ness, of the habit of expectorating in cars and public places, so freely indulged in by men, who ought to know better. It is all right about the mills of the gods grinding exceedingly small, but their slowness is awfully exasparating to the modern workaday American woman. It has seemed so difficult to arouse an interest in the subject ; I am fully sure that lots of people thought we were just meddling faddists, and would be much better employed at home, darning the heels into our husbands' socks, than interfering with that habit, which is all over the world considered the exclusive prerogative and accomplishment of every free born American citizen. I refer to the habit of spitting on every occasion, not to mention the floor. I have heard it averred by foreigners, that an American gentlemen didn't feel at home in a house until he had spat on the floor. 1 have heard others insist that it was the American manner of showing emotion. I am glad to say I never heard any one suggest the true reason, that it was a lazy, dirty habit, of which all men, considerate for the comfort of others, should break themselves immediately. It was not until the apalling fact became known, that Consumption, that deadliest of all diseases, was contagious, that people began to look around them for causes. Scientists, by careful analytical examination, proved to the world that the germs of all pulmonary diseases, as well as diphtheria, cholera, and various other contagious diseases, could be expelled from the system by expectoration, and that the most loving, tender and careful mother, was liable to wipe up some such germs on the hem of her gown, and carry them home to her healthy little nursery brood. I am quite sure that the majority of men are a little prejudiced against the wife of their bosom wearing bloomers, but we women are getting so smart and knowing about these things, that if men don't stop this dirty habit, they will wake one morning to find every mother's daughter of us, fat and thin, tall and short, willowy and squatty, out doing our morning marketing in nice, roomy bloomers. They won't be pretty on all of us, but they'll be healthy — and it rests with the old man, whether the walking costume of the new woman, is to be bloomers or skirts. Joking apart, the women and the children appeal to the kindly considera- tion of the men to remove this nuisauce and discomfort from them, and to shield them from the awful monster of death and disease, that lurks in the path of every woman, as she goes on her rounds to provide for the needs and comforts of home. Unremittingly, untiringly we have worked on this question, and have met with the kindest co-operation from President Wilson and his colleagues of the Health Board, and now, to-day, we have the pleasure of announcing that the Surface Roads have issued 15,000 placards, prohibiting spitting in street cars or public buildings ; that the New York Central Railroads, the Third Avenue,' and the 125th Street Cross-Town cars have them posted in their cars, and that within a very short time they will be in all the lines and public buildings throughout the city. It will then become the duty of the conductor to call 64 the attention of any person violating the rule, to the placard, and to put the offender off the car if he refuses to comply with the rule. Our Association found that some of the car lines did not properly sweep or air their cars from day to day, and here again we had but to verify the com- plaint and take it to our faithful friend, President Wilson. An order was very shortly issued from the Health Department, ordering all cars to be aired and swept, and mats or gratings shaken or cleaned once in every twenty- four hours. We keep up a constant vigilance in regard to the carrying of soiled linen in cars, and instantly report any violation. This last winter we were very active in the heating of the Broadway cars, but it is amusing to note, that no sooner were the stoves in the cars, than letters began to pour in on us expostulating at the dreadful overheating. It's strange, but a fact, that one man's meat is another man's poison all the world over. In concluding, I would like to state that this Committee, under its able Chairman, Dr. Jennie de la M. Lozier, is determined to see this matter of expectoration through, and though every member of it grows grey in the service, there will be no let up, no relaxing of vigilance, until the task we have set ourselves to do is accomplished. GENIE H. ROSENFELD. The Mayor remarked that he was glad spitting has been declared illegal, as he would be very sorry to see all the ladies of his acquaintance going round in bloomers, and then called for the paper on Police Matrons and Municipal Lodging Houses, which was written by Mrs. Genie H. Rosenfeld, read by Mrs. Jennie de la M. Lozier. POLICE MATRONS AND MUNICIPAL LODGING H0USE5. The subject of police matrons has been very near and dear to the heart of this Association. As far back as 1887, the necessity for appointing a matron to take charge of the woman prisoners, was felt by our members, and a committee waited on the Police Commissioners asking that one Station House should be appropri- ated for woman prisoners, and be placed in the hands of a matron. The Commissioners however, had neither the authority nor the funds to effect this much needed reform, and we were obliged to bide our time. In March, 1890, Mrs. J. S. Lowell addressed our Association, asking us to co-operate with other societies, to urge the Commissioners to give us the desired reform. This we gladly agreed to do. The policy of this Association has always been harmonious co-operation, rather than sensational individual- (KS ism. Our member Mrs. S. C. Ostrom, was made chairman of the Committee on Police Matrons, and entered into her work. After paying a night visit to the Station Houses, and seeing the unhappy condition of the poor women under arrest, Mrs. Ostrom went heart and soul into the work in hand. She found that what attention the women prisoners received, was solely from men. Little attempt was made to discriminate between sickness and drunkenness, all the women were herded together, swearing, screaming, and making night hideous. The keeper would occa- sionally throw a rough order to be quiet at them, which would elicit further vollies of abuse. If, as often happened, some unfortunate creature was ill, or in need of a woman's assistance, her complaints were screamed down by some half drunken virago, and she was forced to suffer till morning, and help, came. Eventually, through the united efforts of the various societies which inter- ested themselves in this matter, (efforts, which included an appeal to the Legislature at Albany), a Police Matron Bill was passed. This bill, however, helped the cause but little. After it had passed both houses, the Governor refused to sign it, but finally, after much pressure, made it permissive, and operative for one year. During this year nothing was done. No appropriation had been made for the payment of the matrons, and matters were at a stand still. In November, 1890, Mrs. Ostrom went with Mrs. Bell and Mrs. Trautmann of our society, in company with Mrs. Lowell and Miss Dodge before the Board of Apportionment and Estimate, to appeal for the necessary funds, and in April '91 the Bill was made mandatory, the appropriation arranged, and the matrons appointed in the fall of '91. From the first the plan worked well, and though the newness of the work made it a little difficult to know just the right class of woman to select to fill the post, the work has been thoroughly and systematically undertaken, and the Matrons of to-day are a body of intelligent women, whose very presence has a salutory moral effect on the prisoners. It was with great satisfaction that the Association learned of the new and excellent rule in regard to Police Matrons, whereby candidates after passing their Probationers' examination, must attend a course of "First aid to the Injured" lectures, and obtain a certificate of proficiency in this branch, before they are fully qualified for office. The Matrons already appointed are also attending the lectures, which, in addition to the binding of wounds, dwell particularly on the discrimination between sickness and drunkenness. In regard to the subject of Municipal Lodging Houses, the Association was at first much drawn to the idea of erecting as many of them as funds would allow. It seemed terrible to tuck up in your warm bed of a winters night, and think of the poor homeless shivering creatures wandering round the streets ; the Police Stations were eminently unfitted for Tramps Hotels, and Municipal Lodging Houses seemed the only solution. We must, however, confess to a complete change of base ; a change due to the clear headed teachings of Mrs. Lowell, accompanied by reports of 19 days' work on the Barge at the foot of 26th St. 3,417 men were sheltered during those days, 2,500 of them were between the ages of 20 and 40. 600 of them had been in the City under two days, and 500 of them from 3 to 60 days. One of the men had been playing cards late and was afraid to go home, another was a coachman who was going to a situation next day, and com- plained that he had a fifty dollar watch stolen from him while on the Barge, 66 several were sailors going to ship next day, another was a Dane, who stated that his mother had a farm at home and would be glad to have him back, but he liked this country best, and so on ad infinitum. I cite these cases to show that the class of persons one would wish to reach, are not the persons benefitted by the City's Charity, and that the kindhearted plan of making a shelter of this kind, only benefits men from the country districts, who sponge on the city while they are looking for work, and the weak-minded, shiftless, idlers, who will take whatever shelter comes easiest. The doctor's reports on these men stated that nine-tenths of them were well nourished, healthy, able bodied men, who should have been ashamed to ask charity. The really deserving poor were not reached. While no God fearing man or woman, will deny that shelter must be pro- vided for the homeless, it seems to this Association, that a system should be evolved whereby these unfortunates could be helped and disposed of. We are aware of the system of asking references of the men seeking lodging at the Barge, and that in several instances an investigation of the references, has disclosed the fact, that old employers would be glad to take the individual back into service. If some plan could be effected by which a hold could be kept on the men until their cases were investigated, much good might be done, and much money saved the City. We are all anxious to do all in our power to help the unfortunate, but we all work too hard for the money we possess, for it to be fair to tax us to support the idle and unworthy. It seems to the Association, that the present system of investigation should be continued, that a hold should be kept on the men applying for lodging, and that they should be divided into three classes : Those who belong oul of the city, and have been here less than 60 days, should be sent back to the place where they belong, vagrants pure and simple should be sent to the Workhouse, and the deserving and unfortunate poor, should be helped through the various charitable organizations, to obtain work, and get on their feet again. Such a system as this, would very soon rid the City of the shiftless class, who come casually in from outside districts to find out whether laziness pays better here than at home. It seems something of a shame that the honest citizen is taxed to lodge 3,500 able bodied men in 19 days, while the agricul- tural districts are crying out for more hands to sow the seed and gather the harvest. The truest charity is not that which gives, but that which helps a man to earn for himself sufficient for his needs. The Association is waiting anxiously for the results of further experiments along these lines, and pledges itself in the immortal words of Abraham Lincoln, to work for the movement, " With firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right." GEXIE H. ROSENFKLI). Miss Mary Phillips then proceeded to read a paper on Evils of the Bakeshops, written by J. Thimme, Editor of the Inter- national Bakers and Confectioners Journal, and revised by her: 67 SANITARY BAKESHOPS. Where are they ? Echo answers "iDhere? " Research, careful investigation, show that they do not exist in New York City, (and we believe that New York City is not the exception of the United States.) " Gfasanitary Bakeshops " would be the better title to this paper, since, in looking into conditions, we find most unclean atmospheres and methods obtaining, where that, which is supposed to be the staff of life, is prepared. While we deal with the bakeshop as it is, in this paper, let us still hold to our first title, " Sanitary Bakeshops," and ask how we can secure them ? How we can bring about this reform to add to the record of the Ladies' Health Protective Association. How have we brought about other measures for health, which make our twelve years' record one. to encourage us on to greater fields ? Important among them is that which seeks to give clean food to supply the daily building of the Body, the Temple of the Soul. We have accomplished much by agitation, discussion, presentation of facts, until our officials, recognizing the truth and the needs, have nobly seconded our motions and carried them into execution. With abundant faith that the same wise ear will bend to the new cry for help, let us see through the eyes of one who has the best interests of humanity at heart, and who has intelligently looked behind the scenes, below into the foul basements, where the material is collected and compounded into shapes and styles to sell as food. We propose to give to you the general facts. Dirt, and a perfect indifference to all hygienic laws, enter into nearly every composition which comes from the bakeshop, no matter how frosted the exterior or "plum-ed" the interior. Dirt and danger are synonymous words iu the making of bread ; the reason is apparent. Dirt, dust, the impurities which collect in all places of human congregation, are disease producers, and disease is danger. In at least seventy per cent, of our bakeshops we find all the materials kept, and all the work done, underground, in crowded, stifling atmospheres, where a ray of God's sunlight never comes. This alone would bring down every loaf of bread from its pedestal of a life or health-giving fuel. The ceilings of these subterranean rooms are seldom over seven feet in height, are unprotected from the sifting dirt, cobwebs and spiders, which fall frequently from the shaking seams of the floors above into the trays, and upon the loaves, when, taken warm from the oven, they are in a most sensi- tive and absorbent condition. The places are encumbered with boxes, barrels, musty sacks, illy-kept utensils and rubbish of all kinds, reeking often with tobacco refuse and tobacco chewers' expectorations. The close proximity to the ovens of the foul mattresses upon which the men and boys sleep or lie, while watching the night processes, is suggestive of essences other than those recommended by our Home Cook Books. Sinks, sewers, et cetera, are in close proximity to the doughs and bread. Rats are in the flour, mice live in the mattresses, vermin, large and small, crawl freely over the whole territory, dropping into the messes in course of preparation, irrespective of all fitness or adaptability. The men and boys who are forced to work in this stifling, choky atmosphere, twelve and fourteen hours, often twenty or twenty-four hours at a stretch, work mostly in a semi-nude condition, with the perspiration pouring from their bodies, contaminating to the last degree an atmosphere already as foul as 6s foul can be ; chewing, smoking — falling tobacco ashes are the rule, not the exception. Slight accidents of falling dough are discounted; the dough has lost nothing* and the loaf must fill its required size and weight. Flour is used regardless of its having been the nest of rats, and the Potter's Field for dead rats and mice. Pulmonary diseases, as well as eruptive skin contamination, are facts in every bakeshop, from the very environments in which these men live and work. The whole subject of bakeshops is one to come under the same surveillance as sweat shops and tenement house ; they are a disgrace to the Bosses, to the Community, and an ever -increasing danger to the men, women and children who live upon their products. They affect rich and poor alike, for more or less of bakeshop commodities find their way to many tables. Competent physicians in London, J. F. Waldo and Daniel Walsh, have proven beyond the shadow of a doubt, that baking does not sterilize bread. So far, thirteen different kinds of bacteria (or their spores) have been found in a living condition in freshly baked loaves of bread. The limits of this paper will preclude the possibility of giving the results of experiments in this direction, made in Europe. Much has been done during the last ten years in effecting reforms through organized efforts. Here is one more greatly needed work to be done. Albany has already legislated upon the question, and last year passed a sanitary bake- shop bill. Another phase of the bakeshop reform, must come by demanding less adulteration in the foods ; the economy question must also be looked into, that the profits may be better regulated and shared between the pro- ducer and purchaser. These subjects are too extended to dwell upon at this time ; we throw out the hints, merely. What is first needed is light, light, to give life to the bread and help purity. The facts must be gathered up, and a statistical table prepared to set before the public in a matter-of-fact way. When this is done, the co-operation of real reformers, honest officials and genuine legislators, aye, of the whole public, must be enlisted. To institute a great reform, the whole mass must rise to the emergency. MARY PHILLIPS. His Honor, in a witty speech, commiserated his sex for being at the mercy of these bread makers, but congratulated himself and the city generally in having at the head of the Health Board such a man as the Hon. Charles G. Wilson f whom he was proud to introduce to the assembled audience. Mr. Wilson said : "Seven years previous to the Civil War, the public bad their attention called to the very high death rate in this city. It was attributed to the un- sanitary condition of the tenement houses, and an attempt was made to 69 improve matters, but owing to the opposition of the city government nothing wa9 done. In 1S62 another attempt was made to establish a Board of Health, but it was not till 1866 that the matter was accomplished, and then the pas- sage of the act confirming it. was hastend by the threatened invasion of Asiatic Cholera. The management of affairs during the epidemic, proved the wisdom of establishing such a Board. At that time slaughter houses were in a horrible condition. Butchers slaughtered calves and sheep in the rear of their dwellings. Hogs were allowed to forage for garbage and wallowed in the gutters. Sixty fat and bone boiling establishments were in operation in the heart of the city. Gas houses filled the air with their foul odors unchecked ; manure was gathered and allowed to rot in any vacant space ; cess-pools and vaults were used instead of closets ; what plumbing there was, was of the most old fashioned and unsanitary kind. The work of the Board of Health was of the most arduous character; citizens resisted all attempts at better sanitary conditions, and when arrests were made under the new laws, appealed against adverse decisions, and it was not until several cases had been carried to the Court of Appeals, and decided in favor of the Health Board, that its power was recognized and respected. The Board was then organized for the General Sanitary Inspection of the City. One department was organized for the control of contagious diseases, and another for the inspection of foods. The condition of the gas houses, slaughter houses, and the storing of manure, were the greatest points of trouble for the Board, and in all of these matters it is a very pleasant duty to acknowledge the help of the Ladies Health Protective Association in co-operating with the Health Board. Indeed the work of the Association cannot be too highly commended, and it gives me great pleasure to add my word of praise for the earnest, unselfish work, it has done for the benefit of the city. The department of contagious diseases, takes care to isolate all patients suffering from any contagious disease, and where possible, to remove the patient to a hospital, and in all cases to thoroughly disinfect rooms, bedding, clothing, etc. The food department inspects milk, fruit, fish, meat, vegetables. Xext in importance to the supply of pure water, comes pure milk. There are now 7 milk inspectors instead of 3 as formerly, and Mayor Strong approves of the appointment of 5 additional inspectors. Arrests for watered milk were made. Numbers of persons were sent to prison from 12 to 30 days, and fines to the amount of $12,000 were collected. Under the present arrangement, no person is allowed to store or sell milk without permit from the Board, and must furnish full particulars as to where the milk is procured, and show a satisfactory place for storing the same, before the permit is granted. The analytical department, besides analysing the water supply every week, keeps in touch with all the new discoveries. Anti-toxine was so favorably reported to the Board, that Dr. Biggs was sent abroad to investigate it. On his return, an appropriation was made to supply Anti-toxine, with the result of a decrease of 43 per cent, in the death rate since its adoption. The Board of Health is very rigidly organized and disciplined, and its rules are being made more and more severe as necessity warrants. The Health Department has no politics, but is the friend of the people without distinction. 70 Following Mr. Wilson, the Mayor introduced the Hon. Theodore Roosevelt, President of the Police Board. Mr. Roosevelt, who spoke without notes, said : • I doubt if any 0De who is not in a public office can appreciate the good done by outside organizations. They keep the officials up to their work, and they attract their attention to things that ought to be attended to. In the matter of municipal lodging houses, I found in going from precinct to precinct that they were in an awful condition. I invited Jacob Riis to look them over with an idea to improving them, and all he said was " Shut them up ! they do more harm than good." The idea of closing the municipal lodging houses, seemed to cause intense anguish of mind to people who said I was down on the poor working man. Only yesterday I received a letter from an excellent organization, begging for the opening of the lodging houses ; but they will not be opened. In this line of work there is an immense field for the intelligent philanthro- pists. I use this word intelligent advisedly, for it is an absolute trueism, that the criminal does no more harm than the humanitarian fool. While it is true that we must not deprive the honest, but poor working man of shelter, it is equally true we must not mulct the honest citizen of his hard earned money, for taxes to supply shelter for the idle shiftless tramp. There is a plan on foot for the reopening of tramps' lodging houses next year. I earnestly hope that it may not be carried out. These lodging houses are failures from two distinct standpoints. Firstly, they encourage the shiftless and degraded who do not want to work ; and secondly, their condition is so bad, that they degrade the honest man who is forced to take advantage of them. The opening of Commissioner Faure's barge, was probably the severest stroke that has ever been struck at vagabondage in this city. The housing of men in police stations was stopped, and all men in need of a night's lodging, were sent to the barge, where they were met with three terrible discomforts. They must first bathe, then sleep in clean flannel pajamas, and last do the work of the barge in the morning. It was astonishing how much fewer homeless poor were found, when these conditions were known. The bath and the work frightened them off. I would suggest that you women of this Association, should devote your energies to preventing the return to the old system, and if the barge is not in working order next Fall, endeavor to have something to correspond with it. I see by the very able paper just read by Mrs. Lozier, that your Association has the right grasp of this most difficult subject. You understand of your- selves that to give indiscriminate charity is to pauperize people. The Board of Charities has been doing a great work in this direction. Uphold it and see that it be continued next Fall. Have the vagrant made to feel that he has not only got to wash and work, but that if he won't earn his living he must goto the work-house, and not demand of the city, that aid which was intended for the unfortunate poor. Invaluable help can be given to officials, by organizations, if they will only study the subject in hand intelligently, and work with the officials instead of against them. It The most telling proof of the truth of this, lies in the work of this Association. You have heard to-night what these women have accomplished, and you have heard from their own lips that it has been done through intelli- gent co-operation with the officials. I myself feel glad that there is such an association watching over the welfare of our city, an association that knows what ought to be done, and who ought to do it, and stands ever ready to call the attention of the right persons to anything that needs attention. With the best and purest intentions, every official is met, at times, with difficulties and nuisances and abuses that he is powerless to overcome. We have in our city now, within a few hundred yards of Police Head- quarters, tenement houses that are disgraces to civilization, that represent the days when the poor of this city died like sheep, and no one cared. These rookeries are rear tenements, and are built four feet off the front buildings, and back up within eight inches of the one behind. These houses have long been a menace to the Board of Health, a cause of infinite trouble to the police, and an eyesore and disgrace to the city; but we were all powerless to clear them out. Now, however, the Board of Health has the power to condemn such build- ings, and will use its power with discretion and firmness. Five houses have been chosen to begin operations on ; they lie in the rear of Mott Street, the windows open onto the wall of a warehouse but 8 inches away. The rents of the lower stories are naturally much cheaper than the upper, because way upstairs they get a little glimmer of light sometimes. A number of photographs were taken of these dreadful dens, but they had to be discarded, they were too awful to exhibit. We expect a great deal of fighting before we are rid of these terrible structures, but we have right on our side, and in the end we'll win. In concluding my remarks, let me thank you members of the Ladies Health Protective Association of New York, for the work you have done, and for your reasonableness in doing it, and let me entreat you to continue in it. You have called upon me to aid you in keeping the pavements cleaned. The laws regulating this matter are on our books, and I will help you to see that they are enforced, and will try to do my duty. At the conclusion of these remarks, the Mayor rose and said : " I have listened with pleasure to all that Commissioner Roosevelt has said ; the co-operation of the officials with such a society as the Ladies Health Protective Association is a pleasure to them, on account of that very reasonable- ness of which the Commissioner has just spoken, and we shall one and all be glad to assist this society and further its wishes, whenever it lies in our power." His Honor then introduced Captain Gibson, Deputy Com- missioner of Street Cleaning. Captain Gibson said : Mrs. Trautmann, Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen : In Colonel Waring's absence, it devolves upon me as the Deputy Commis- sioner to represent him here this evening, and while I am but a poor substi- tute for the genuine article, it affords me an opportuning of saying a few words in just praise of his efforts as Commissioner of the Department of Street Cleaning, which modesty, if nothing else, would forbid his saying for himself. His work, however, speaks more eloquently for itself than any poor words of mine, or the most facile pen could possibly describe it, for it is constantly before the public gaze as a perpetual reminder of the thorough- ness of his system, and as a silent witness to the completeness of the gigantic task he is daily accomplishing in the interest of the health, happiness, cleanli ness and comfort of the citizens of this metropolis. He has originated a most desirable condition in the matter of Street Cleaning, and one never experienced or enjoyed by the people of this city before. The results he has shown, must certainly be considered a receipt in full for the money expended in bringing them about, and a justification for the amount it will cost to maintain them in the future. The Department is now cleaning over 420 miles of paved streets daily, and man} r of these streets are swept several times a day, against 393 miles confided to the care of his predecessor. The cost for this service for 1895 was $3,008,000, and for the previous year, $2,547,000, but it must be borne in mind that Colonel Waring is, under the present law, required to pay a higher rate of wages than were paid prior to his incumbency, except for a portion of the year 1894, and, furthermore, almost the entire plant needed renewal, which necessitated a very large out- lay. The great improvement in the equipment, and in the plant generally, the many advantageous changes, and the adoption of new methods, all of which have taken shape under Colonel Waring's direction, have paid many times over for the expense incurred by them. The Sweepers are now supplied by the Department with push-brooms, which formerly they furnished themselves, which is another added expense. This change was made for the reason that the more power a Sweeper put into his broom, and the better he did his work, the more he damaged his own pecuniary status, and it was to overcome this unnatural condition that the change was ordered. The Bag Carrier service, which as yet is quite limited, has thus far been most satisfactory, and will be extended in the very near future. This is designed to do away with sweeping street dirt into piles, that are almost immediately scattered by traffic and the winds, and instead, the sweepings are put at once into bags, which, when filled, are tied up and left on the curb, soon to be hauled off by the department carts. The recent introduction of the ash can and bag, on the west side of the city is, as yet, in its experimental stage, but the reports thus far are all favorable, and that service will likewise be extended in all probability. These are for the collection of house ashes into bag8, instead of emptying an open ash can into a cart, often to the great discomfort and annoyance of the passerby, especially on a windy day. The removal of trucks from the streets has been one of the greatest boons to the entire inhabitants of the city, and also the most unpopular of all of Colonel Waring's reforms. It met with the most strenuous and persistent opposition, and the Truckmen's Association is to day fighting it tooth and nail, but I think we may safely count it a very disreputable condition of the past. Those of the tenement house districts have probably benefited most by Colonel Waring's perfect work and improved methods, and they thoroughly appreciate the fact that he has greatly improved their condition and general surroundings. They in turn have extended to him a helping hand through the instrumentality of their children, who have, in many of these districts, formed themselves into a Children's Auxiliary Aid Association, and are ren- dering good service to the Department, and their neighborhoods, by reporting to our employees, to the Health officers, and the Police authorities, all infrac- tions of the law or city ordinances that come under their notice. There are, in these Associations in all, about 800 children, and they take much pride in their work, and in wearing the badge of the Department of Street Cleaning. The uniforming of the force, for which Colonel Waring was so viciously denounced and mercilessly abused, has had a most salutary effect upon both the discipline, and the character and amount of the work performed, for the men know that the eyes of the public are constantly upon them, and that they must do honest and faithful work to retain their places. Colonel Waring had the courage to put his force in this most appropriate garb, notwithstand- ing the violent opposition to it, and I doubt if any of his successors, will have the temerity to put them back in plain clothing in the future. The pace he has set will have to be maintained by whoever succeeds him, for nothing short of it will again be tolerated by the people of New York. One of the conspicuous elements of success in our Department has been its absolute divorce from the realm of politics. All who enter there leave politics behind, or, if they insist upon dragging in the political skeleton, then they leave hope behind, so it is six of one and half a dozen of the other. The paths of the Department of Street Cleaning were strewn with thorny obstacles, as well as incumbrances, for some time after Colonel Waring took charge, but all have disappeared ; he has wiped them out of existence, and proposes to keep them there as long as he remains in the business. His Honor the Mayor has given Colonel Waring the full measure of his support in all his undertakings, and the Health and Police Departments are co operating with us in every possible respect. In conclusion, I desire to offer my congratulations to the Ladies Health Protective Association, on the magnitude and comprehensiveness of its work in all directions, and I wish also to return the thanks of the Department of Street Cleaning to the Association for the loyal and effective manner in ffhich it has aided Colonel Waring in all he has accomplished, and through whose agency so many others have taken an active interest in the good work in hand. I thank you for your kind invitation to be present this evening, and for the opportunity of hearing so many excellent papers read, and also for the opportunity of making a few remarks myself. 74 Captain Gibson was followed by Dr. Moreau Morris, Chairman of the Mayor's Committee on Baths and Houses of Public Comfort. Dr. Moreau Morris said : I have been familiar with the Ladies Health Protective Association since its incipieuce. I have watched its growth with interest and approval, and can only tender my congratulations and compliments to the Association, for the good work it has accomplished. On the subject of public baths and houses of public comfort, the Mayor's Committee has accumulated facts from all possible sources, and incidentally I may add, literature enough on the subject to form a good sized library. A model bath house, and two houses of public comfort, will be erected within the year. We have $200,000 appropriated for the work, and we mean to build on Tompkins Square, a bath house that shall serve as a model for other cities. It will have hot and cold, rain and spray baths, and efforts will be made to keep it open all the year round. The houses of public comfort will be one in City Ilall Park, the other in the Park at the junction of Broadway and Sixth avenue at 33rd street. It seems somewhat of a reflection upon us, that legislation had to be secured before public baths could become a possibility to us. In England, the munici- pality erect them, but in New York we owe such baths as we possess, to the generosity of private individuals. 75,000 persons annually avail themselves of such privileges as we have, but it was necessary for the Board of Health to plead that baths and wash houses were necessary to the public health, before the government took a hand. It is a disgrace to our city that we have not better facilities for bathing in the tenements houses. The washing arrangements are deplorable, it is almost impossible to have cleanliness, and yet we have not one bath open all the year rouDd for those who would bathe if they could. Dr. Morris then went on to state how the women in England enjoy the privileges of the wash houses, where for a trifling fee, they can wash, dry, and iron their linen in comfortable well appointed wash houses, while they also have the opportunity of a pleasant chat with others using the laundries, thus brightening their dull lives a little. Dr. Morris ended with a strong plea for the erection of baths all over cur city, to be opened all the year round, and enable the poor to enjoy as com- fortable bathing privileges as the rich. This paper concluded the program, the members and their distinguished guests then repaired to an adjoining room, where an informal reception was held, and light refreshments were served. 75 Second Day. The second day of the Convention* was devoted to visiting various places in the city, showing to the delegates the work- that had been accomplished through the efforts of the Association. The following extract from the New York Journal of Saturday, May 16, 1896, will best describe the proceedings: Members of the Ladies Health Protective Association entertained their guests, the delegates from similar organizations in other cities, yesterday with an inspection of municipal housekeeping. Incidentally they called attention to some of the evils they have helped to abate. The start was made from the Park Avenue Hotel at 9 a. m., and the abattoir of the Eastmans Company, at Fifty-ninth street and Eleventh Avenue, was first visited. It was explained that the methods emDlo} T ed in this abbatoir had since been introduced throughout the city. In its infancy the Association hoped to have it "moved outside the city limits, but investi. gation had convinced them that these model methods were perfectly consistent with health. From the abattoir they were driven through the Park to the Sixty-seventh street Police Station, where they were shown improved methods of caring for women vagrants. Xext door is the headquarters of the Fire Department, and a request from the president, Mrs. Trautmann, led to a special review of the men and their methods. The party was driven to Mrs. Trautmann's house, where refreshments were served, and from there to the foot of East Forty-third street. In this dock, or close beside it, are anchored the refuse barges of the city. It was here that the flagrant outrage of hundreds of tons of manure being exposed, caused the organization of the Association. In 1884 a few women decided to rid the neighborhood of the nuisance, and from that start the Ladies Health Protective Association has grown into its present dimensions. The manure has long since disappeared, but the scows are still unloaded and their contents separated beneath the pier. In that reeking spot, Italians not only work, but live. They pile up the filthy rags, and melt tin cans, day after day, eating and sleeping in one portion cut off from the main part. Their bunks are a mass of filth. Thus far the Association has been unable to cause the removal of such work beyond the crowded town. From this filth to the model floating lodging house at the foot of Twenty- sixth street was a short drive, but a radical change of scene. In the latter place cleanliness is supreme, and the ladies, after being presented to Mr. Silas Croft, president of the Board of Charities, who then became their host, inspected all the details. Blackwell's Island was next visited. At the landing General O'Beirne joined his colleague, Mr. Croft, and later Superintendent Dunphy piloted the party 70 through the workhouse, the almshouse and the hospital. Luncheon was served at 4 o'clock. After a brief rest, Mrs. Trautmann called the members to order and in a short speech congratulated the mother society on having such flourishing children to entertain, and thanked the Commissioners for their hospitality and courtesy. President Croft and General O'Beirne spoke briefly. They were followed by Warden Dunphy. Mrs. Croly, on behalf of all women's clubs, thanked both the Commissioners and the Association. She made a good point by the assertion that it was a privilege for women to do such work, as it broadened them and helped to control that sentimentality of which they had been accused. Mrs. Scrimgeour, of Brooklyn, and Mrs. Clara Williams proposed a vote of thanks, and the two days' convention came to an end with the impromptu singing of " Auld Lang Syne. " GENIE H. ROSENFELD, Recording Secretary. s