Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-08-05
THE SANITARY PROBLEM.

ing filth pits in the midst of summer heat.
The RECORD UNION long ago pointed it out
and urged, even to the extent of pertinacity,
the people of Sacramento to act in.the right
season. But they did not. They have uni
formly put off to the eleventh hour about
all the reforms that have been forced upon
them by necessity. 1t is better to clean up
and throw out the filth and disinfect it
even in the heat of summer than not to do
it all. To leave it in the pits in the thickly-
settled quarters, to foul the air through in
sufficient covers or through the soil, is but
to more vigorously charge the earth with
the filth as the sipage waters recede. 1t
will simply add to the filth saturation of
he'soil, as testified to positively at recent
sanitary meeting by the test of boring.
We have very little faith in disinfection OF
cesspools while filled with the drippings OF
years 1t is a task far greater than most
people suppose to disinfect cesspools or filth
pits at The lowest stage. Mere plunging of
disinfecting liquids into them will not
cleanse the porous walls. At the very best
distinction will be lame wherever the
miserable cesspool policy prevails. To do
the best that can be done, however, should
be attempted even in midsummer. Ii 1t Is
not now done, we have no faith that when
the hot weather is over a single thought
will be given to the subject. But it is not
necessary to proper cleansing that all the
filth pits be stirred up. The city covers a
wide area, our streets are broad our lots
large. our evening breezes quite sure to
blow. The cleansing can, therefore, be
largely accomplished without fouling the
air much more than is done by evaporation.
Beside, many of the worst pools can be
I ordered filled in. if the officials deem that
| best, and the expense thus greatly lessened,
though to further burial of such matter
there is objection. But it is better than eX-
| posture. In the mean time we should pump
the sewage as proposed. 1t is the best that
can be done now, and will serve for this
| summer and while fixing upon permanent
system.
Mr.. TRUSTEE NIELSEN, exercising his in
dividual right, but setting it up against the
| expressed wish of the people, has voted
against the appointment of three sanitary
inspectors, for brief time, to aid the
Health Officer of the city. In so doing the
Trustee has placed his own peculiar ideas
of sanitary science in opposition to the adj
vice of every sanitary authority eXtant ;
against his colleagues in the Board; against
the citizens sanitary meetings as repre-
scented by qualified committee; against
| the advice of the Health Officers; against
the precedents established in San Fran
cisco, New York, Chicago, Boston and a
score of other cities; against the dictates Of
ordinary prudence; against the ur-
gent request of the Board Of
Health. Mr. Trustee Nielsen thus
testiiies anew to his unfitness for the
place he lills-an unftness this journal did
not hesitate to point out when his candi-
dacy was proposed He does not believe
that unpopular and offensive regula-
tons " can be enforced. 1t might serve to
enlighten the public as to his views of pub
lie duty, though it would otherwise be
valueless, to know how he has arrived at
the conclusion that it is unpopular" to
inspect and cleanse this city, or offensive
to compel the negligent, careless and stub
| born to observe ordinary sanitary precau-
tons. There are premises close beside
clearly and well-cleansed grounds where
parties purposely foul the earth and the
air; places where filthy sewage is deliber-
ately discharged upon the ground to poison
the atmosphere. Others can be named
where the filth accumulations of years have
almost solidilied " Inspection alone will
disclose these; the priyate-complaint "
system viii not dot is trusting public
! business to Tom, Dick and Harry.
Wherever sanitary laws are dcfied and
filth reigns. " inspection " will be unpop-
ula4 with the owners or tenants, and with
such Mr. Trustee Nielsen practically
chooses to class himself But Mr.. Trustee
| Nielsen says he " does not believe in all
this agitation" The city has got through
every year and all that. And SO this
brilliant sanitarian proposes to assume the
responsibility of saying to this people that
they do not know what is best for them.
He is willing to shoulder the fearful respon-
sibility of epidemic willing to defy the
statistics showing that preventable dis
eases are increasing here, and that our death
rate is too large; he is willing, in short, to
venture in where only fools dare to tread.
There is certainly one thing needed
in Sacramento quite as much as sanitary
reform, and that is competency in the
Office of Trustee Nielsen, who, by his as
sunption of superior knowledge regarding
the desires of this people, simply insults
the intelligence of the citizens of Sacra-
mento, and exposes his own Ignorance.
There is broad distinction between back
bone and mere stubbornneSS.
THE evidence is aCcumulating that goes
| To fortify the dOubtS and predictions of the