The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-26
FAR BEHIND THE EAST
so SAYS DIR. oHAGE IN SPEAKING
OF ST. PAUES CIVIC
PRIDE
RETURNS FROM EASTERN TRIP
Fasteners Envious of st. Paul Baths
Cities Have SUCCESSFULLY COpeI
With Smoke Nuisance-MOre
Regard for Health.

st. Paul" said Health Commissioner
Ohage yesterday, speaking of his visit to
a number of Eastern cities has many
things of which it should be proud, but L
am panied to say that in the East they
regard health and personal comfort more
than we do here
in the East" continued the doctor,
they are sacrificing industry and the al
mighty dollar for comfort and health.
In st. Paul it is exactly the reverse And
have also observed that those cities that
are free from smoke and dirt are en-
joying~ prosperity. In st. Paul [ have
been told that without smoke our town
would be dead"
Have they good bathing facilities in
those cities you visited" was asked the
health commissioner,
well, that was something I was in
terested in more than anything else,
answered the doctor. I'm fact my trip
was principally for the purpose of. telling
Philadelphia's biggest civic organiza-
ton how we did it in St. Paul Possibly
there is some self-pride in my answer,
but l must say that 1 think we have
them all beat when it comes to public
baths Philadelphia, Washington and
New York all have what they call public
baths but nature has denied them what
it has given us. When I showed them pic
lures of our baths they said their cities
would give millions to own their equal.
And to think of it." sighed the doctor.
some people begrudge the paltry sum
that is asked for the Improvement and
maintenance Of the ones here"
''And | saw" said DR. Ohage warm
ing UP to his subject blocks of fac
tories and buildings being RACED to the
ground and grass sown and trees planted
where cinders and gloom existed before,
simply mat children might have a play
ground and the people a breathing place.
Millions of dollars were being sacri-
feed, but civic pride was in the saddle,
and it considered health and comfort
greater than the dollar. In st. Paul
health and comfort is the last thing to be
thought Of, and as for sacrificing indus
tries, why, it is out of the question.
AS [ looked al what they were doing
In the East and thought of my own feeble
efforts to prevent big railroad corpora
ton and a few designing individuals from
throttling and smothering our own little
breathing spot, could not but feel angry
for the want of thought on our part here.
Cities Free From Smoke.
Smoke was another thing Health Com
missioner Ohage inquired into while on his
Eastern trip, and it is expected that there
will be busy times in ST. Paul shortly
in consequence.
VISITED GulIadelpnld, w aShlnStOn ana
New York, said the doctor" and l
found each Of these cities free fr1m smoke.
And they were enjoying prosperity, too.
At st. Louis and Pittsburg, the condi-
lions were not so good, but they are work
ing hard and hope to have the nuisance
done away with in a short time In Phil
adelphia there was some trouble in con-
vincing manufacturers that smoking
chimneys would not be tolerated, but they
succeeded.S
There is one thing that has done more
for the East than anything else, and that
is civic pride. In Philadelphia l saw peo-
PIE flushing their Sidewalks and even ex-
tending their labors to the street front
ing their homes. Everybody seemed to
want to Guido his neighbor, and the re-
suits were gratifying. I hope St Paul viii
get some of this pride. The town certainly
needs it,
DR. Ohage was absent two weeks and
made a thorough investigation of public
institutions and public health conveniences
as they exist in the cities he visited