File No. 8327/2.

Minister Morgan to the Secretary of State .

No. 508.]

Sir: I have the honor to inclose in duplicate a portion of the Official Gazette of the 27th instant,a containing the decree issued by the provisional governor on the previous day relating to national sanitation. By this decree a national department of sanitation is created, at the head of which will be a chief sanitary officer, who is a qualified doctor of medicine. In addition to this official there will be a local sanitary officer for each municipality and a national sanitary board, which will serve as a consulting body.

I have the honor also to transmit in duplicate a cutting from the English page of La Lucha of the 28th instant,a which states the principal objection which the public press has raised in commenting upon this decree. That objection lies in the fact that the chief sanitary officer and the members of the national sanitary board are to be appointed by the President of the Republic for a term of four years, the inference being that as their term will be coincident with his the sanitary department will be injuriously affected by party politics.

It is presumed that Major Kean, the present acting adviser of the sanitary department, will be appointed the first chief sanitary officer. For the time being street cleaning and sprinkling, the removal of garbage and other wastes, public and private disinfection, and the draining of wet and marshy spots in the principal cities of the island will remain under the charge of the department of public works, where they are at present.

I have, etc.,

Edwin V. Morgan.
  1. Not printed.
  2. Not printed.