Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-08-10

small cities. a learned physician of
Glasgow, from a study of the different
cues IN Scotland. came to the couJiu-
sion that in those critics, where there
was the highest number of persons to
the room, There was the highest NOR
tality. He also found from a study of
twenty-fou statistical districts of Gas-
gov. that in those districts where there
We're the most large houses and the
fewer small houses. there was the low
est mortality. and vice versa.
Ii Is only question of degree. We
uc NOT see SO much of this problem in
thls city because we have not here such
extremes of poverty. But. after ALL
what is poverty? 1T is the lack Of some
thlng essent nal to the enjoyment of
health and happiness, and what is mora
essential than air?
AN English authority says man can
1--we three weeks without food three
days without water, but only three min
utes without air. Now, whether Il man
lives in I, New York tenement or a New
port News Workshop or Office or the
recitation rooms of our public or private
schools ifhe has to breathe air which has
peen breathed before. he is poor man
and must expect to ''enjoy poor he:,lth.''
Why did 100 Engllshmen die within a
few hours in the famous black hole Of
Calcutta. Because they had breathsd
up all the air there was thera in about
fifteen minutes. They then had 10
commence breathing each others
breath. until they finally died for wan!
OF breath. Shut up fifty scholars in an
ordinary school room. and they viii
breathe up all the air in few minute.
and III there is not THE proper Vent liza
tlon they will then commence to breathe
ihelr own breaths over again-not
lhe'f own breaths. for each pupil has
% r,,.i1 ,if
Dretth. but must take it as it cornes,''
NOW, these students may have a great
deal or money, but they have sorna Of
the main symptoms Of poverty. and I
90 not think my definition a n;Lrro" ore
wien say that the main symptoms of
poverty are unSanitary SURROUNDINGS
and environments. l do not say that
All people have unsanitary surrounI-
lnSs, .out the two go hand in hand, and
II science IS ever to lift men out of nuy-
cry I. large share of The work must be-
done by sanitary science. Some COW
Years ago the United States Co;nmis-
sioners OF Labor sent inquiries to proi,;
1nent people all over the country ask
sng the cause of labor depressions. He
received l19 different replies, and one
'"i'n sitld that all labor deprcssions ana
poverty We're due simply to a neglect 1T
the principles of sanitary science
would not be so narrow as that but |
"ouiu say that unsanitary surround
.ngs take AWAY self respect, make men
neeNiSh. give them impure blood, dun
!hclr brains and do l believe tend Iii
Tcrtly to lower their wages | believe
mat If YOU could give men better food
pure air. better waiter, in short. raise.
tnclr standard Of living, you would l.,is,.
he standard Of wages. l believe if you
toulG reduce the American laborcr II,
ne Hlnuo standard of living they would
soon fall to the Hindo standard az
wages. l believe that one way to max,
I slave of The American laborer is 10
keep him sick three-qual4tels Of his
limP.
~" safety of the human system and
.he preservation of health are influenced
pore by our environments than by he
edltS; and the essentials 10 health are
lean ground. pure food, pure air and
Water That the plat of ground sur
'oundlnS the dwellings of the poor mar
owed down to it's smallest pussible linn
It's generally, is less clearly than that
surrounding the homes OF the wealthy
none Will deny. What are the causes
hat conspire TO produce this uncleanly
condition. The majority Of the poor
i've in rented houses. They move oitcn
sometimes because their surrount.in Ss
are unbearable, sometimes because it
cheaper to move than pay rent
Whatever be the cause the fact is that
out little effort is put forth to beautley
md purify their surroundings.
Poverty conpels them to live on the
sheapest food. Instead of sirlon and
porterhouse they have soup bones.
which after having done valuable ser
nee on the table are scattered about
he back yard. Landlords owning
houses TO be rented to the poor, sub
livide their lots in order TO get more
houses upon given area. and the poor
N order to further economics their
scanty means, will crowd two or thrce
families into one house, and as a poor
mans wealth consists in the number OF
MS children, often a dozen or more are
seen playing on the sunny side Of an
Old, tumbe-doWn shantS, thus render
ing the growth of a lawn almost i'm
possible. Thus. year after year, as
FAMILIES move in and out each adds 10
the offensive deposit on and about the
premises and none even think Of rernov-
ing any thing Except when notified by
health authorties) until the land be-
comes saturated with the products Of
decay, and in the summer becomes =
hot bed of disease producing germs.
Whilst | do not claim that the rich
are exempt from these diseases. T MAIN
taln that the rate of mortality among
lhem is much smaller than among rh.
DOOR 30 put what I have said in a n,1t
shell pelleVe that what the fowl is 10
tne egg ana the egg is TO the fowl, shat
aisease and poverty are to each O., her
Ihsy are Of the same species. Ea..n
aultlplles and produces the. other .'.f
ter Its own kind"
O. T. BEA UMONT,
Sanitary Engineer.
. oOl5 Washington avenue
aHN IN