The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-05-24
IS DANGEROUS TO HEALTH.
STREETS SHOULD IRE SPRINKLED
 AND DUST LAID.

the Green-Other Matters Considered Las Evening.
 The dust nuisance was considered al length last evening by the members
 of the committee on retrenchment and
 reform in the shape of communication
 from the board of health recommending
 the watering of the city streets. All
 the members of the committee were
 present, and there was also a large at
 tendance of medical men and other
 citizens interested in this important
 subject.
 pr. c. A. Lindsley, secretary of the
 state board of health, was the first
 speaker of the evening. He said in
 bart: The dust of the city is a menace
 to the lives of the citizens, and it's eff
 feet upon the health of the people is
 of two kinds, direct and indirect. The lungs are irritated by the grit which
 leaves them liable to disease, and the
 bronchial tubes are also seriously af-
 fected by the flying dust. In the in- terests of the public health all the streets of the city should be watered
 and the danger of consumption and kindred diseases thereby much de-
 creased.
 | Dr. M. c. O'Connor, member of the
 board of health, said the condition of
 the dusty streets of our city is a source
 of much inconvenience and dissatisfac-
 ton to our citizens. Permit me to show l you gentlemen of the committee that
 this flying dust is positive menace to health. Here the doctor produced
 several examples of the city's finest
 dust, which he had gathered and show
 ed 1t to the committee under a power
 full microscope. The dust showed up
 all Jagged, and the doctor continued: | q believe that the street railroad com lpanies should be compelled to water
 the roadways from curb to curb. The
 simple sprinkling between the rails
 and two feet on each side is not suffi-
 cient, and l think my proposition is nothing more than strictly just" The watering of the streets was also advocated by Health Officer Wright, who argued that the expense could be borne by a general tax on all the property.
 J. Morehead also favored the sprink ling of the streets as a public necessity, but claimed that the expense of the same should come out of the general taxes, and that thaIe should be no in- creased taxation. The rich, he said, have sprinklers and hose, and some hire the sprinkling done. but it Is the poor that suffer, and I sincerely hope that this committee will recommend some legislation in their interests. LJ Matthews argued that the streets should be sprinkled by the street rail- way companies the entire width of the streets at least three times a day. The doctors, said he, tell us that We need fresh air, but along the routes of the electric cars 1t Is absolutely impossi- ble to keep our windows up because the cars raise such a cloud of dust No further franchises should be given to l any street railway company unless they 1 agree to insert clause compelling | them to keep the streets properly wa l tered.
 Prof. William II. Brewer of the Shef- | field Scientific school argued that all 1 the streets of the city, and the whole | of each street should be watered. This, | he said. could be easily done, by divid- | lllR LHG GUY lulO hlplliIlS WlLh eb Sy oNNlAA | of graded taxation according to the | amount of water used.
 Ex-Judge R. s. Pickett said: The fact | that all property owners pay taxes to | water only a few streets is an injus- tice. No one should be taxed unless he derives some direct benefit. We have no right to tax anybody for such street \ sprinkling any more than we have to compel them to, buy ice. If taxes are levied let us all have the benefit of street sprinkling, and not confine 1t to a few fashionable thoroughfares in the center of the city. However. our finan- cial condition will hardly bear the tax this year.
 S. H. Street also favored taxation so as to pay for the watering of streets throughout the entire city.
 City Engineer Kelly reported that the proposed filling of the West river marshes would cost considerable mon ey. and the city could not afford to do 1t at the present time, so the matter went over,
 Mayor Hendrick sent communica- ton to the committee to the effect that he wished to talk with them about the site for public morgue, and asked them to defer action in the matter until next Tuesday night. Tn view of this 'act the committee decided to take no action on any of the matters consider d by them until that time, and ad- burned.
 COMMITTEE ON ORDINANCES.
 Al special meeting of the committee ,n ordinances was held last evening Or the purpose of considering several proposed ordinances, at which all the members of the committee were pres mt. The first business considered was proposed ordinance regulating pre- of ordinances, petitions, or lers, recommendations, etc. City 1lerk Lyon appeared before the commit S ee and advocated an ordinance requir ng that all such matters should be presented to him by noon of the day 2 n which they were to be considered a 'he subject was tabled for further con- a iteration. I No one appeared to favor the pro- t osed ordinance providing that all g harges of misfeasance or malfeasance II q office against any official of the city W f New Haven shall be investigated by h he mayor president of the board of al- f,