The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-08-19 00:00:00

<stour4ribge aperinr.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 19.1871.

SANITARY AFFAIRS.

We have heard a great deal lately about a was-
ted session. On this accusation we have no in.
tention to comment, but it is certain that Mr.
Disraeli's recent lamentation over the neglect of
sanitary leFislation was not without wine foun-
dation. hatever may be done or left undone
at the close of the expiring session, it is much
to be regretted that we shall have had no sani-
tary legislation worthy of the name. And yet
legislation with this object is sorely needed, as
we are painfully reminded by a report just issued
by Mr. Simon, the chief of the medical depart-
ment of the Privy Council. If the old classic
axiom, Sfi/us popull le.r be true ; if it be
an admitted principle that the health of the
people should be the highest aim and object of
legislation we see by Mr. Simons's revelations
how sadly remiss our legislators have been, and
moreover, how negligent have been the local
authorities in, alas ! too many districts.
If we were to take some of Mr. Simonas hard
and stern facts in the alphabetical order of the
towns to which they have special reference, it
would certainly make us very uncomfortable to
think that some day we might be impelled thither
by the claims of business or friendship, and thus
have to put up with the" pollution of earth, air,
and water,- at any rate, for ft season : but it is
to be hoped that the residents of every town and
hamlet of which the Report speaks in anything
but assuring terms, will bestir themselves at
once, lest perchance the enemy which it is to be
feared has already made its appearance in Eng-
land, may visit such congenial places, and clothe
those in mourning who, with proper attention to
the laws which science basso often pointed out,
and which, too, common sense and experience
have endorsed, might have survived to be clad
in wedding garments and to be useful to their
kind. It is wiser far to bar the doors against
thief, than to incautiously permit his entrance,
and then, after he has despoiled the house, to
set to work to get rid of the enemy; for even
then the same work will have to be done, which,
if it had been done at the right time, would in
all probability have denied an entrance to the
merciless invader !

Now it is absolutely certain that the class of
noxious nuisances to which reference has been
made, differing less in kind than in degree in
the various towns and districts, could easily be
remedied by local agency. There wants no san-
itary leeislation to effect it. Sanitary reform
could easily be effected by the agency of laws
which already exist, and by the exertions of
local authorities. It is simply but a question of
expense, labour, time, and perseverance. And
yet the reform is not achieved, Year after year
these same potent evils have continued to exist,
exerting a pernicious influence on the life and
health of the people. It is said that 120,000
lire, • year fall • sacrifice to the negligence of
local authorities and, we must add, to the apathy
of inhabitants. A very large proportion of our
diseasee are preventible. We do not say that
under any possible circumstances these diseases
could be swept from the face of the earth, but
sanitary reform would lessen them, and in some
cases would make them almost unknown. We
hear a good deal of the ignorance of local an
thorities on such matters. We do not think
there is much ignorance, however; though there
is untlonbtedly an immense amount of via infra
What has to be overcome is the apathy and in.
action of those who have the power to remove
nuisances, and we fear that nothing will effecte-
ally accomplish this but Bimini and compnlso.y.
legislation. Failing this, however, which we
cannot now obtain, what is required is that local
authorities should be urged to do their duty;
and we cheerfully add our mite of influence in
this direction.

LATEST NEWS.

PRESS ASSOCIATION TELE'IRAMS,

f.rECTER'S TELE0:1:.1.118

F 0 It E I 4i N

N K

GERMANY.

KostaspEam, Thursday.

Thirty-Revell persons died fr clodera on
Tues4iny. Yesterday 27 expired out of RU at-
tacked, Ca4ea of rbolera have been certified
in ie,seral villages multi. Stain.