The times., 1897-04-05
WOULD PROHIBIT SPLITTING
Health officer Woodward Wants an
Ordinance Against 1t Passed.
1t Destroys Private Property and
Is Prolific Cause of Dis.
case and Death.

Health Officer Woodward has submitted
to the Commissioners report in which he
recommends the promulgation OF muni-
cipal ordinance prohibiting splitting III
officer has the personal support Of the
Commissioners and will doubtless receive
their official sanction.
This movement on the part of the health
officer is based less on aesthetic than on
sanitary reasons, and is in line with steps
OF a similar nature already taken in New
York city, Chicago, and proposed by the
CITY council of Philadelphia and the IN
diana state board OF health.
Should the District Commissioners fol-
low the suggestion of the health officer
the new regulations will become operative
alter thirty days advertisement. Then IN
every one of the street cars there VIII
appear a placard warning passengers that
it is against the law to spit on the floor
and that violation of the regulation VIII
render the violator punishable by fine or
imprisonment.
That is about the way the warnings read
in the New York and Chicago street cars,
and although arrests are not often made
and convictions less often secured, yet
the moral effect of the ordinance has been
observed to be beneficent. 1t has had
the effect of directing public attention
to the danger of infection from the victims
of consumption. diphtheria, typhoid, ana
other infectious and contagious diseases
The regulation is directed mainly as
check against the spread of consumption
One-seye enth of all the deaths in the District
of Columbia are due TO tuberculosis OF The
lungs For the sixteen years ending
June 80, S95, the mortality record Oh the
health office shows that out of $4,000
deaths, IL 900 were due to this terribly
fatal disease.
That it is an infectious disease is cstab-
| lished beyond question The bacilli OF
consumption is emitted by expectoratioh'
dries and passes into dust, but the germs
live and, it may be, are breathed into the
lungs of a healthy person, and subse-
| uuently cause death.
Then there is another practical aspect to
the foul habit of spittingin street cars, and
that is the destruction of private property
| 1t is not easy to calculate the annual loss
| by damage to clothing sustained because
| of the splitting practice. The dresses oi
| women are particularly liable TO injury
The Indiana State board of health, which
| is striving for the same manner of leeisla-
! tinn as sought by the District health
! officer, lays considerable stress upon thls
point of destruction 10 property.
There are difficulties u the way of en-
forcing This rule of action in the courts,
but tie public yields readily to persuasion.
CFif m
the conductor shall direct his attention to
the placard and shall admOnish the wrong
doer to desist If he refuse, the conductor
shall call policeman, who, if he shall see
him spit. may arrest him. The conductor
may also swear out a warrant against the
alleged offender. There are few proSecu-
lions under the law, but it is widely ac-
cepted and respected.
A Capital Traction conductor said 'ast
night. when touched upon the subject of
the proposed reform:
ut is q good thing, and should be
pushed along. Some people, particularly
tobacco-chewers are public nuisanccs, and
| ought 10 be set down on by the hand oi
| the law. OF knocked down by the hand
| of n policeman Often have ! seen ladies
be compelled TO raise their skirts and tread
| their way carefully around pools Cf TO-
bacco venom that had been spilled upon
the car floor. The car companies and EN-
gloves will he pleased should the Commits
/ sioners issue such a regulation -
A woman said: 1.-THE practice Gf spit
ting on the floors of cars is dirty, dan
rerous and diSgraceful. 1t is astounding
that the sons and brothers of women VIII
be guilty OF such practice. our health
and our skirts have some rights, which
spitters ought 90 respect. | hope the Com
| rnissioners will sauelch the spitters.'