The record-union., 1895-09-25
THE ORDER TO CLEANSE THE CITY


The City Trustees very properly yielded
to the demands of the people and on
Monday evening gave full power to the
Board of Health to make such expendi-
ture as it may deem necessary to cleanse
the city thoroughly. This was right
action. because the Health Board must
be assumed to have the good of the city
at heart as much as have the Trustees. It
is true that the latter are better informed
concerning the financial strength of the
treasury, and the probable income and
outgo of the city, but it is not thinkable
that the Board of Health will recklessly
spend money, or uselessly cause single
obligation to be created. Besides, the
President Of the Board of Trustees is
also President OF the Board of Health,
and the latter body will therefore be kept
informed upon financial limitations.
Now that the Board of Health has ap-
pointed four inspectors-there should
have been six or more-it must be under
stood that this means something more
than hunting out foul places and serving
notices to clean up. 1t must mean in
struction how to clean up, what cleansing
and disinfection are, what will be recog-
nized by the officers as cleansing and
what disposal Of garbage and rotting mat
ter is. 1t also means that when orders
are issued by the Health officer they
must be obeyed, and at once, and that
the regulations will be enforced without
fear or favor or any quibbling.
The Inspectors will of course be thor
oughly instructed in the matter of what
inspection means, and be coached from
day to day concerning remedies for the
discoveries they make. The chief evils
they are to contend with are the open
priviss and the RECONSTRUCTED cesspools
in the city. Were it possible to have it
done, every one of these should be dIsiD-
fectsd, or the contents destroyed and the
open holes filled up. As that cannot be
done with our present sewer system, the
next best thing must be done, namely,
thorough disinfeotion and constant ap-
plioation of germ destroying agencies to
them.
This means great deal of hard work,
it means a considerable cost to property
owners and housekeepers, and daily
wstohfulness and application of reme-
dies, perhaps, for good sanitation is not
to be consummated in day. nor a week,
nor month. Proper cleansing of the
city under any possible circumstances
cannot be done in less than a full season.
This has been demonstrated in the cases
OF Memphis. OF Chicago when It was no
larger than Sacramento, OF Newark, of
Oakland, of Des Moines, and of numer-
GUS other cities and towns whore clean
ing had been long neglected.
What is now proposed will pay if
cholera appears. in lessening its viru-
lence and Fastening the process of stamp
ing it out 1t may, indeed, prevent its
gaining q foothold, for cholera despises
cleanliness and loves filth, damp, mold,
intemperance, bad drains, foul pits, gar
bage piles, slop heaps, cesspools. decay
ing vegetable matter, stagnsnt water, i'm
pure earth and tho like
The cleaning up will pay if cholera
does not come, in the lifted level of the
public health, the sense of duty por-
formed, the consciousness that due pre-
caution was taken, and notably in the
education that will result among the
people regarding the comforts, gains and
pleasures of cleanliness. It will pay, if
10 nothing else, in the consciousness THAI
we have done our duty towards those de-
pendent upon us, the women and chill
dren. the sick and the aged of the COM
munity.
Now then let every man and woman in
Sacramento lend q hand to help the
Health inspectors. Let them be well
coined wherever they come. Let it be re-
membered that they are under instruc-
ton as to what is and what is not dan
oerous. and that things which to US may
appear harmless or Insignificant may to
chem, under their instructions. be vital