The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-05-23


ping q sewers. where The work IS 50 fully
ana quickly 0eScured. viii some day reveal
10 rs great ceaI cg injury 20 car expens-
sewer should be tempered with except by
q regular City eznpioye experienced II
such work
HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
This department. has materially increased
the efficiency OF it's service during the past
year. Ways and means should ee devised
for adding TO It's appliances and extending
tIs usefulness. There IS 10 phase OF nod
ern lie in which the individual Is so de-
In matters OF sanitation and food supply.
The community owes il ta the individual
10 see that It's ignorant. careless or IN
scrupufous mel MIXERS shall non endanger
the others In a tardy and indifferent way
va all approve sanitary measures. and
measures 20 prevent the spread OF infec-
tious disease; but the public az large has
not ret awakened 70 the appalling and
un6iuShing food adulteration that IS car
rlec on in every large community There
is no doubt that in Seattle. as elsewhere.
milk, bread, pastry, teas. co1ees, spices.
groceries and prepared foods of many
kinds are largely and dangerously adult
terated.
This criminal practice calls for constant
attention and prosecution.
I beg 70 recommend that such provision
be made for the expense OF the health de-
parEnaent as will enable IL 70 render eri-
Client service and that IL he provided with
a meteorological laboratory having the
most modern appliances for Ssfcn tests as
may be required IN practical work or the
That 4 sufficient allowance be made. 70
the department. for publishing and dis-
trfbuting a moderate supply of its month
ly report OF vital statistics.
I beg 10 call the attention OF your Honor
able Body and OF our citizens genefally 20
the serious sanitary and drainags condi-
items which have resulted from the Tact
that our sewer extensions do not and can
not keep pace with the extension OF our
arrsIx- n
closets. and the unlimited drainage OF
waste water into vaults and cesspools.
beg 10 further suggest that I would De
great public advantage II the city would
acquire and operate for private parties at
cost modern and efficient apparatus for
pumping out ceSspoois. Tor the same gen,
plan that has led TO the wise investment
by the City in a steam road roller. The
lack Of information and the fear of excess
sive cost are the cause OF a large part or
the unsanitary negligence in relation TO
cesspoois.
/ beg to observe that. in my judgment,
your Honorable Body has not in the past
made adequate allowances for the extern
sion of the work OF the Health DEPART
ment. and TO recommend that liberal
n ~ , sa 1Yr revations pre-
Scrfbed by the Board of Health. General
pTejudices and selfishness make all SAM
tary regulations difficult OF enforcement
and the Board of Health should have at all
times sufficient appropriations for the en-
forcement of its regulations.
LIBRARY DEPARTMENT.
From the report of the Librarian here
with submitted. and from personal obser-
walton. I am satisfied that our library adj
ministrauon is efficient and discriminat-
ing.
Every outlay wisely made In this de-
partment should be regarded as an invest
ment and not an expense. There is no
other way in which the future welfare can
be SO surely promoted as by liberal sup
port and judicious administration of public
libraries. They should not only be main
tanned. but should be constantly increased.
There is an intimate relationship between
the man. Reading is coming 70 be uni
versal recreation Books are cheap. Shall
their supply be conducted by book dealers
with view to the greatest money prof1t,
or by public library administration for the
benefit of the readers2 Books VIII be Sc
cured and reading will be obtained. Shall
IL be a great waste or a general educa,
tom This question can not be answered
by the public school, and must be- an
severed by the public library.
ALL-NIGHT READING AND COFFEE
ROOMS.
beg TO recommend that before another
winter Is entered upons arrangements De
made for one or more social reading rooms
in the lower business districts, where en-
ployed or unemployed men may spend
their days land nights II need bel In plain,
comfortable rooms, supplied with light and
heat. with chairs and tables, with saw
dust for the floors, with coffee or lunch
counter under private management as an
accessory, and that papers and reading
matter be supplied by the library. all 10 be
under the supervision of and TO be fur
counter. which should be conducted as
private enterprise subject to approval OF
the library authorities: Such rooms to be
kept open night and day. They would be
instruments of physical. intellectual and
moral benefit TO homeless. friendless and
bookless men.
GENERAL REPORT.
The report of the Library shows the to-
tai of books in the Library TO be %. Of
volumes by gift. LIN volumes by pur-
chase. The average number of registered
borrowers in 1895 under the system OF re-
curing a fee Of 10 cents per month was
LAB the number In 1896 without fees
was 4392 This gratifying increase of pat
ronage has resulted in:
First-The making of the library free.
Second-Allowing borrowers free access
ThirdLPermitting each borrower to take
be a work of fiction.
The report shows most thorough econ
omy in the administration Of the library.
The cost OF circulation per volume has
been reduced from "A cents TO cents in
1895
The librarian states in his report that
these are the lowest figures he has ever
seen reported and suggests that they are
dangerously near too low a figure. The
above figures do not OF course include the
use Of the library for general reading nor
the use of the reference books therein.
The library lis in urgent need OF additions
for general use and for the completion OF
its reference lists upon ordinary subjects.
The circulation of books for home read
ing was SO 216 volumes, which would have
been greatly exceeded but for the small
stock OF circulating books in the library.
Every book in the circulating department
went out on the average more than ten
times during the year
small repairing and binding plant has
been wisely added TO the library.
Some criticism OF the library has been
based upon the fact that works Of fiction
ara more numeronsly read than other
gument against library provision. We can
not require the public to read books OF any
particular class. People will read what
their taste suggests. librarian must
take the public taste as he finds II. He
can cultivate and improve II by selecting
in such lines as his patrons will read. but
ne can not control their tastes except by a
gradual educational process
7 earnestly urge that the library appro-
priation be increased during the remaining
portion OF 1897 TO the greatest possible ex-
tent.
OUR MUNICIPAL POLICY.
The general plan upon which our City
has been laid out and improved has led ne
into serious errors, which have burdened
us with expense and which should be as
far as possible abandoned.
our comprehensive system OF street rail-
ways has spread our population over a
e11,5e expectaiion Of future growth nave
spread our municipal service over too wide
a territory. We have endeavored 70 ex-
tend water mains. sewers, street lights.
.,.1liee service and fire. protection over
areas in and between which rs large pro-
portion of vacant property. We must
sooner or later call a halt and limit our
municipal service to the localities where
the number OF residences 20 be served are
not out OF proportion 10 the expense