The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-08-10
A MODEL MUNICIPALITY.

FRANK w. Blackmar, professor of his
tory and sociology in the university of
Kansas. presents an interesting article
on the municipal government of Berlin
in the August Forum. Berlin is one of
the great cities Of the world. and after
reading Professor Blackmar's descrip-
ton. one must conclude that it is GER
tainly the cleanest and best governed
city in the world. The term best gov
erned"' must be taken qualifedly, for
although Americans reject the idea of
Acknowledgement in any form and the
property Acknowledgement of the Ber-
liner is based on class privileges. yet
so long as its people are contented and
order prevails, the abstract idea of
government resting on the consent OF
the governed is not violated. And the
German idea has this merit-that it
recognizes at once that the city is
business CORPORATION.
Because OF its slender population,
and Inadequate means, Salt Lake City
might have big task on its hands in
any attempt to initiate Berlin in those
things which go to make a city great.
yet there are many ideas gathered
from the municipal government of the
German city which may be applied
with profit TO our city and its people,
Take. for instance. the sanitation.
Rigid rules are enforced with reference
to garbage and sewage. Large quanti-
ties of disinfectants and deodorizers are
used by the city and furnished to pri-
vate individuals free of charge A per-
feet system of sewerage is maintained.
which conduces greatly to the public
health. From the different parts of the
city the water from closets. baths and
kitchens. as well as the surface water
of the streets, is conducted through
system of sewers to central stations
along the Spree, situated at the lowest
elevation of the city. Here the sewage
is collected in large central reservoirs.
From these reservoirs it is forced by
means of large pumps through great
iron tubes into the country. 1t then
passes into central stand towers and
is thence distributed, through a system
of irrigation pipes and bitches, upon
the land. Thus the sewage CT the city
becomes the fertilizer of the land. which
produces fruits and vegetables for city
consumption The soil upon which the
sewage is thrown is a sandy loan, quite
Derv:ous to water. Hence. when the
sewage is deposited. the soil acts as
filter. retaining all the solid particles
and allowing the water 10 pass off in
comparatively pure state. A system
Of underground thing IS used to collect
the water and return it again by
small streams into the Spree. The use
OF antisepties and disinfectants and the /
contact of the sewage with air. sun
light and soil remove all unhealthful
conditions from the sewage farms. The
people who live on these farms are IN
usually healthy; and the hospitals of
Berlin have established convalescent
homes upon them. The peasants drink
the water after filtration without any
evil. effects.
Among the excellent features Of the
Berlin government are the public mar
kets and slaughterhouses The suffer-
ing of the people on account OF diseased
meat caused the city to build central
cattle market and slaughterhouse, and
to connect them with a thorough sys-
tenn of meat inspection. The entire es-
Enlistment covers about q acres. The