The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-04-06
TWO BOARDS AT OUTS.
Dispute as to Sanitation of the
Public Schools.
THE ARGUMENTS PRO AND CON.
school Board Defends Dry Closet sys-
tenn, bus Health Board Insists on
Enforc5ng the Law.

The contes. between the hoard OF eduea-
ton and The board of health over the san
itation Of the public schools is an interest
ing one, not only 10 the scientist bat ~ the
taxpayer ~ well, and may end In = serie US
conflict of authority in the courts.
The school board has equipped the Pa
cific, Cascade and Day schools with the
system of dry closets in which q current
OF hot air is passed through the closets,
producing desiccating effect This sys-
tenn OF closets has also been recently
placed in the Rainier school. the total cost
of introducing it IN all the schools named
being perhaps $12. 900 to $4,000. The
reasons given by the board for adopting dry
closet systems are that all offensive odors
are removed that there 10 no dirt or noise;
that the closets are always clean and that
the cost OF operation is small.
The board of health, however. insists
that the bacilli Of the Dedicated sewage are
carried out through the chimney into the
air TO be again breathed into the lungs of
the children and people living in the
neighoorhood OF these schools, producing
disease. They assert that the only method
OF sanitation Is the water closet system by
which all the baeilli are carried into the
sewers and thence into the sea. This Is
the only system recognized by the city
ordinance. which requires that oil Closets
be connected with the sewers.
The board of health, therefore, is COM
plying with the strict letter of the Law In
seeking TO compel the board Of education
TO connect the closets of the schools with
the sewers, and ut the same time Is entoro-
ing its general views on sanitation.
The school directors, on the other hand.
claim that the dry closet system is per-
fectly sanitary ana II in use in fifty of the
largest cities of the country, and that il
has been Endorsed by a large number of
scientific men. Furthermore they say
that to make the change required by the
board of health would cost ST.. coo or $i5,-
CO., At the Day school in Fremont,
moreover, there is no sewer to make con-
nection with, and the old cesspool in use
before the dry closet system was put in was
condemned by q former board of health. SO
that in this instance, with the cesspoo! and
the Smead system condemned and no
sewer connection possible. they are. fig
uratively speaking, in hole. They also
assert that the present agitation originates
principally with the plumbers who have
always been opposed to the dry closet
system, because they are by it deprived Of
a large amount of work.
The board of education will resist the
enforcement of the board Of health's order,
first, by seeking to have the city ordinance
amended 50 as TO permit the use OF the dry
closet system; second, if this should fail.
by resort TO litigation over the respect
i've merits of the two systems. AS this is
purely scientific question, ii the matter
be thoroughly gone into in the courts, the
litigation will resolve itself into a costly
contest between high-priced experts. al
though it is to be presumed that owners
Of the patents on the dry closet system
will take hand in tho litigation for tho
protection of their own interests.