Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-02-27
NOTES ON THE CITY REPORTS.


The Health of the City.
The Health officer, John b. Wheeler, VI.
d., states the interesting facts that the
dcath-rate of Burlington, last year was
less than in any year for six years, being
1852 per l0OO,--against 1911 the year pre-
vious. There was not death from diph-
iberia during the year. He reports twenty
cases of typhoid fever, most of them oc-
curing in May and June, of which ten
were fatal-a number less, he says, than
the yearly average of many towns smaller
than Burlington. But for the appearance
of this fever the year would apparently
have been one of the healthiest on record.
AS it was the mortality from zymOtic dis
eases was less than in any, year for six
years. except lSS3. The Health O6iCcr
advises the removal OF the point Of supply
for the city water, from the vicinity of the
docks He suggests that the few un-
trapped cutters lmisprlnted GUUisS III q
printed report opening INTO the sewers are
nuisauces. He advises that certain sam
tary measures he taken IN view of the
probable arrival of cholera IN this country
next summer.
vital statistics.
There were thirteen more marriages,
thirty more births and fuur tr'rrr deaths
last year than in tNS3 OF the $50 births
three were Legitimate, two of twins, and
twenty still births; Isl male children and
1872 females were born. over a third of
the births occurred in the Third Ward.
The youngest mother was -, the oldest
- years old OF the 23S deaths. eighty
eight were of infants less than one year
old. There We're tWenty-srVen deaths
from consumption, against thirty-tiNe from
that disease the year before.
The city physician, DR.. J. c. Rutherford,
u 1;ttl .r,1,
the paupers during the year.
The Water Works.
The current expenses of the Water
works amounted to $9j66.33, of which
sum 1913. 46 was the cost of pumping
4lS. 49, $50 gallons of water from the lake
to the reservoir. The pumping expense
was nearly $500 less than the year before.
Seven million gallons less OF water was
pumped than the year before. In other
words about 81 per cent less water WAS
pumped, while the reduction OF the cost
of pumping amounted to over % per cent
and the city had 40 tons more coal ON
! hand at the close of the year than it had
| the year before.
The reduction in the amount OF water
| pumped appears to be due To the introduce
/ ton of meters in the cases of large con
+
rs well as decreased the quantity of water
used and to the use Of Il contriyancc
| which notifies the engineer when the
reservoir over flows, and thus prevents
waste of water from that source. The de
/ dUCtiOn in pumping expenses IS due in
part to the reduced price of the coal which
cost 80 cents less Il ton than the year he
/ fore, and in part, doubtless, to the imprOV-
| ed condition OF the pumping machinery.
/ Adding to the above items the interest on
/ the water debt of the CITY, 3l4,o9i, our
water cost us, last year, sd ,3OO33.
/ The water rates collected show Il notice
able increase, and "A handsome surplus over
the running expenses and interest There
was collected in the year -, 492 Oh of the
| unpaid water rates of lNN3. and so, 3N3 81
of the water rates of lSsi-a total of ST.
SD1,Gt The rates We're more closely col
/ lectcd than the year before for but $50
remains unpaid on the water rates of the
| last year.
A. the receipts from the water rates
now exceed the expenses, even allowing Il
fair percentage for wear and tear of ma
chinery, and depreciation of property
/ there would seem to be no reason why the
practice of charging the Fire Department
$1,000 a year for water used in eXtinguish
ing fires, should be continued. 1t is sim
/ ply taking money ont of one of the city,
pockets and putting 1t int" another; and
while there is no deception about it, since
it is all properly reported and generally
/ understood, nothing is gained by that
kind of housekeeping, and it might as wei
| be discontinued.
The sum of SolG653 was spent on new
iron pipe, laying new mains, and srrYic,
pipe, and other items charged to cOnstruc
ton account
Mr. Frank H. Parker, superintendent o
the Water works, gives Il large measur,
Of the credit for the satisfactory shuWinl
he is able to make to the Water Commit