Evening star., 1902-01-01
BLOW AT R0OKERIES
Movement to Dsmolish Insanitary
Buildings,
TO IMPROVE TEE CIFY'S HEALTH
Policy to Be Pursued by Chair
man Mcmillan.
LEGISLATION IS DESIRED
LEGISLATION Is DESIRED

A general policy for the Improvement of
the health of the city will be vigorously
pursued by Senator Mcmillan, chairman of
the Senate committee on the District of
Columbia. He has written to the Commits
sioners of the District asking for a report
on the number and character of insanitary
buildings in the District and the extent to
which insanitary plumbing exists in houses
here. When this report is received it will
form the basis for action looking to the
betterment of conditions
Mr.. McMiIIan's Views.
why should we spend couple of mil
lions of dollars on filtration plant in order
to prevent the possibility of typhoid fever
by means of the drinking water, and at the
same time permit other sources of the same
and other diseases to exist, when by mu-
nicipal regulation it is possible to prevent
them,' remarked Senator Mcmillan when
asked about his purposes by a Star reporter
today. IF our death rate can be lowered
or any classes of diseases can be stamped
out or lesSened by municipal regulations
we should provide such regulations"
The District committee will not only Sc
cure accurate information concerning local
conditions, so far as they relate to the
health of the people, but it will ascer-
tain the policy pursued in other cities in
such matters with a view of adopting here
the most cOmmendable plan that exists any,
where for preventing insanitary rookerfes
or alley novels, that are shown to be unfit
for human habitatlon.
Much Insanitary Plumbing.
1t is understood that there still exists in
the city a large amount of plumbing that
is liable to be a fertile source of disease.
and the inspector of plumbing will be asked
to make some report on the extent to which
such nlnmbinar iS n q in Dc oFt,
and. II possible, means will. be adopted for
improving it. The law now is such that
the owners of houses with insanitary plumb
ing can be forced to replace it with sani-
tary work upon the complaint of tenants
and report of the inspector of plumbing
showing that such change in the plumbing
is needed. But this law is not generally
understood by tenants, even If they are
aware of the bad condition of the plumbing
In their houses, and it is only rarely that
case is brought up for its enforcement
The insanitary houses that will come in
for large share of attention in the cru
sade against disease will be those that are
located in alleys where there is no sewer
connection and where the conditions are
regarded as favorable to the spread of an
epidemic should one be brought into the
city. 1t is likely that houses found to be
unht for human habitation will be desig-
mated by the health officer and that law
will be passed which will permit their more
general destruction than has been the Gus
tom in the past
Suggestions to He Asked For.
In pushing measures for improving the
health of the District, Senator Mcmillan is
anxious to have suggestions regarding evils
that exist and measures that should be
adopted for their eradication. 1t is likely
that the medical society will be requested
later to make suggestions for improving
conditions of health here so that this city
may have record for health equal, if not
superior, to that of any city in the world
The benefit Of judicious Improvement in
eradicating disease has been shown in a
marked degree in Berlin, where typhoid
fever existed to large extent some years
ago. That disease is now practically un-
known in the German capital, and the i'm
provement is directly traceable to sanitary
measures that have been put in force there
among which was the purification of the
drinking water served to the city What
has been done there, it is believed, can be
accomplished here, besides many other i'm
proyements adding to the health of the
city.