Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-03-24


voidsbly essential it is TO any proper
sanitary work"
ASH to make 1t more incompre'
hensible to the common reader II
leaves robust English and exclaims
"a sine qua non" is a clear con-
cep,ion OF the work to be accomp-
lished. Latin in medical prescrip-
tons may be tolerated, because OF
the alleged necessity for Physic to
be eDveloped in mystery, but 10
such plea can be put up in IA
vor OF the introduction Of dead
language into public documents
presented for the consumption Of the
unclassical masses. Indispensable
condition. would have been better
understood than the latin phrase if
il doesn't look quite so learned.
II the introduction was wordy,
what can be said in that regard
about the proposed ordinance? 1t
occupied fifty plges Of foolseap and
its reading consumed over one hour,
thus reminding one Of the saying
Of Disraeli in reference to
Mr.. Gladstone. Beaconsfield said
that the grand old man" was
Intoxicated with the exubGrance
of his own verbosity." 1t appears
as il the trainers OF the measure
now considered must have been
somewhat affected with a similar
species Of inehriety. Its exceeding
length is OF itself an objection,
rendering it difficult OF compre-
hension in its numerous parts.
There is nothing "fragmentary"
about that draft.
What We specially desire to draw
attention to now is its proposal in
reference TO the construction of
privy and barn-yard vaults, especi-
ally the former, which 1t requires
shall be constructed on ''every
mans premises" In relation to
the trouble and expense the trainers
say: CHOW small a thing it is in
the individual case" This IL
flimsy and unstatesmaulike talk,
a. the measure would affect
all the citizens, TO the poorest among
them owning q home.
Let US see how small a thing 1t
would be for the poorer people to
construct such privy vaults as these
required under the proposed or
dinance. We understand that they
should be in dimensions not less
than six feet deep and four by six
feet, to be of brick, with stone floor.
the whole TO be plastered with
cement. The brick work to be dur
able and satisfactory should lie laid
up double and in cement Thus the
walls, including labor, would cost
$500. The floor, either in stone
flags or cement, would cost $3.50.
Cementing the interior Of the vault,
% as TO prevent any tendency TO
leakage, would not be less than
SlO.SO. The excavation, which
should perhaps have been named
first, would be Sl.25. These added
together make a total Of S57.S5.
These are not fancy figures, but
solid ones, obtained from leading
contractor and builder OF this city.
Of course the amount is perhaps not
great in the eyes of professionals
vino rake in fat fees, but to the poor
man it is a large sum, and hundreds
would have to mortgage their homes
in order to raise it.
The estimate Of the framers about
the insignificance of the amount re-
minds one Of a noted English lady
Of the aristocTacy. On being in
formed that In 4 certain district
many unemployed people were per-
ishing from starvation, she said.
81 do not see any reason for such 4
condition Of things. Before l would
die Of starvation 1 believe l would
eat bread and cheese" She
was so ignorant Of the situation Of
the poor that she never imagined
that they could not get at least
these two common articles of food.
As TO the aggregate cost of the
vaults, one can obtain 4 fair idea
Of it by computing the number that
would be needed by this tremend-
Dusty sweeping proposed measure.
Taking the population at 40, 600, and
assuming that it would require one
vault t. every six persons, the total
you'd lie $500, the cost Of which,
n round figures, would be $50, 900,
r running close up TO half mil
lion dollars. If the proposed barn.
yard vaults, which would number
say one 10 every fifty Of the people,
Ne figured on and added, some con-
ceptiOn Of the burden sought to be
laced upon the citizens by the
trainers and friends Of this measure
may be formed.
Besides theindividual phase Of the
burden, If time and space permitted,
We would enter into the details Of
the enormous outlay OF public funds
that would be required to empty
those vaults "once a week in sum
mer and every two weeks in win
ter Only think OF $3.50 weekly
visits OF the tank wagons in summer,
and 95l daily, including Sundays.
We might say good deal more on
the subject, but we will prefer to
wait for a printed copy Of the orii-
nance. It is TO lie hoped, however.
that the City Council do not intend to
occupy the position Of an appendage
to the Chamberof Commerce, or any
other body, but will seek to pass
only that kind OF legislation that
has been analysed and digested, and
that will be for the benefit OF the
people as a whole. We are in favor
Of a comprehensive and strictly
enforced system of sanitation, and
believe that one more effective and
inexpensive than that proposed
by the measure under consideration
could be devised.
From fhe Soufh