The record-union., 1891-10-15
WHAT Is GOING TO BE DONE
ABOUT IT9

fAoSoCLdtlOu, AOW III SeS5lOH III Sdu Z ran
cisco, is Mr.. s. s. Green, leading citi-
zen of Worcester, Mass. While in this
city President Green was asked concern
ing the chemical precipitation system OF
disposing Of sewage in the city of his
home.
He replied that he was familiar with it;
that the city had for years been polluting
its streams and soil by neglect of sewage
disposal. 1t was at last impressed upon
the people that they could not afford to
go on in the old way any longer. Be-
sides, the Legislature intervened and
commanded the city to cease pouring its
sewage into the Blackstone River.
Worcester thereupon Investigated all
known approved systems of sewage dis
posal. "We spent a good deal of money
that way" said Mr.. Green. 1--WE sent
our engineer to Europe and had him
study all systems he could reach. He
returned with report fortified by the
opinions of the best sanitary engineers OF
England and the record of the experience
of many towns and cities.
1--WE adopted his report, dug and lined
our tanks, constructed an outfall sewer
to them, and to-day the whole thing is in
successful operation, and we are free
from the evils of sewage sipage into the
soil and foul discharge into the river. 1t
is an economical system, and we like it.
If Sacramento wants to adopt it she can
profit by all our inquiry and avail of all
that it has cost US so much to ascertain.
Send on to us one or two competent men,
or we will send your our reports and out
lines of our plans.'
The Worcester scheme, it will be re-
membered, was fully described some
time ago in the RECORD UNION and an
abstract of the report of the engineer re-
ferred to by Mr.. Green was then given.
Now, Sacramento must very soon act
in this matter of sewage disposal. 1t is
simply suicidal to store waste matter in
our soil. 1t will presently develop that
soil saturation is taking place, and what
that means everyone ought to know.
Last spring the subject was agitated and
public meetings held, and for time ii
really seemed as if something would be
done. All the RECoRD-UNIoN asked was
that the preliminary and costless steps be
taken this year. That is to say, ascertain
where tanks can be sunk, what chem
ical deposition system will cost, and the
adaptibllity of our sewer system to it. 1t
was added that it would pay us well to
send one of our Trustees and one of the
Board Of Health to Worcester to person
ally inspect the sewage system of that
city.
But as yet nothing has been done. The
Trustees simply ignore the subject and
will not even set on foot the preliminary
inquiries, though they would entail no
expense whatever. There is yet time to
do this, however-time to ''do some
thing" to use a phrase resolved upon at
pADAiS SoAlSd Ny tAS W
consider the subject. The people have
the right to know why their servants re-
fuse to do even so little as to inquire and
ascertain the cost, as basis for possible
action.
If the officials will not, however, act in
this matter. we suggest that public-spir-
tied citizens organize and take up the SUBJ
ject and themselves ascertain exactly
what it will cost the city to adopt the
Worcester system, or some similar one.
For, above the need for clear water, be-
yond the Importance of levee fortifica-
ton and street improvement, superior to
any and all other local questions is this
one of the public health, and that it is in
volved in the problem of sewage disposal
is open to no sort Of contention or doubt.
There are some questions relating to
our city governmental and economies which
cannot, with credit to the town, be bruited
upon the street corners nor laid bare in
the press, and neglect of sewage disposal
is one of them. But if there is stubborn
refusal much longer to consider the mat
ter, this journal will feel disposed to make
record of all the facts and conditions.