The record-union., 1891-07-24
WHY DO THEY wAITa


The month of July already stands upon
the threshold of August and the city au-
thorities have taken not so much as the
first step, nay, they have not even given
evidence that they are possessed of the
disposition to move in the direction of
'doing something'' about sewage dis
posal. They have agreed to pump out
liquid sewage that floats to the Y-street
pump; but that is not sewage disposal.
Now, it is as capable of demonstration as
that the sides of a square are equal, that
1t will not cost the city a dollar, except
perhaps the outlay for pens, ink, paper
and drawing board to ascertain these
facts; the cost of ground suitable for pre-
cipitation tanks; the cost of constructing
such tanks and the necessary channels to
feed them; the cost of the chemical and
power house; the cost of conducting the
sewage from the present sewer system to
the tanks; the annual cost of disposing of
the sewage by chemical treatment. Pos
sessed of these facts, easily ascertainable,
the Trustees could then submit to the
people definite questions to be passed
upon relative to ways and means.
If this is not done, for what purpose
were the several meetings held a few
weeks ago? Why was the sewage dis
posal agitation taken up and commended?
Why did the people almost unanimously
agree that as we cannot dispose of the
sewage by gravitation, nor by sewage
all that remains?
Certainly the agitations, the meetings,
the debates, the gathering of information.
the making of reports, etc., were all for
the purpose of having something done,"
TO use the words of the resolution adopted
at the last sewage meeting called by May
or Comstock. If this summer passes and
nothing" is done, we lose practically two
years, since when next summer arrives
we will have to go over the whole ground
anew, and if action is then begun it will
be year more before any results will be
obtained in the way Of sewage treatment
1t is very true that the present sewer
system is not able to receive all the
matter now retained in cesspools. But
there must be beginning; it will take
some years to make the system compre-
hensive, and to reform it, but if it will
now take a third of the matter stored
there is that much of gain.
The knowledge of the world on this san
itary question is open to us freely; we do
not need to expend a dollar for advice;
the inquisitions made by other cities are
of record and freely rendered to us: the
experience of Worcester the RECORD
UNION has set forth in elaborate detail,
and every citizen who read it compre-
hended it. The system in operation in
that city is of the order of that which
Sacramento must adopt; it is simple and
easily understood; it involves nothing
of experiment or doubt, and it is success
fully applied in more than a score of
towns and cities with.conditions similar
to those obtaining in Sacramento.
1t would be wise action, perhaps posi-
tive economy, to send two officials to
view the Worcester or other successful
systems, though that procedure is not
an absolute necessity, since all the facts
and drawings, the expense accounts and
the plans of any of the cities using the
precipitation system, are at our command
free of charge. However, personal OBJ
servation is an excellent teaching means,
and it would expedite and clear matters
TO have our Health officer and the Street
Commissioners, for instance, since sew
age works fall within their departments,
visit two or more cities where chemical
disposal of sewage is conducted with
success.
OF one thing the people may rest as
sured, they cannot forever, or much
longer, go on with the cesspool system
and prefer inviting claims for the city's
growth. The storage OF waste matter in
our soil Is costly folly, the most expen-
siye and offensive of systems. If the re-
ceptacles are cleansed once a year, as a
distinguished physician says should be
done, the annual cost to the people will
exceed $4,000, while about one-fourth
that sum will maintain chemical disposal
works. But if the receptacles are
cleansed once year, they remain foul
eleven and a half months in the year,
and the evil of the cesspool and filth pit
is therefore but very little decreased.
We repeat, as a new system of sewage
disposal must be had in Sacramento, the
best time of all others to begin to plan
and ascertain the cost is now. If any
reason whatever can be advanced to the