The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-07-15
SANITARY BOARD
POWDERS ON HOW TO
GET RID OF SEWAGE
Question Is One of Increasing
Importance to the Growing
Small Cities of the State
Pure Water Also Sought.

Disposition of sewage matter was
the highly important topic discussed
in the quarterly meeting of the state
board of health yesterday and nearly
the entire day was devoted to consld-
Grafton of that subject in it's appllca-
ton to the entire state.
Ry invitation a number of eminent
sanitary engineers from the Twin
Cities and some of the smaller places
were present
Among these were L. w. Rundlett,
city engineer for st. Paul; George l..
Wilson, formerly assistant city engi-
neer of ST. Paul; Andrew Rinker and
Carl Illstrom, of the city engineering
department of Minneapolis; Fred w.
Cappelen, Minneapolis; A. w. Abbott,
Minneapolis, and Profs. c. B. Frank
forter and J. j. F1ather, of the state
university
DR.. Bracken~ explained that the state
board was somewhat circumscrIbed IN
it's powers to govern sewage DISPOSE
ton. The board, he said, may con-
denim the sewer system of city should
it be found to be a detriment to the
health of residents of that or any
other place, and in such cases may
compel a city to change its system,
but under the law the board may not
interfere with the adoption of sys-
mental results.
Streams Must Be Kept Pure.
City Engineer Rundlett, of st. Paul,
said that in Eastern states it had long
ago been customary to drain sewers
into the streams, but as the popula-
ton of those states increased it had
been found necessary to find other
means, and in some cases this proved
quite expensive. He argued that Min
>nesota should take this question up at
once rather than later. 1t would be
easier, he believed, to start right and
advance as necessity demanded than
to establish one system at great ex-
pense and then change to another.
DR.. Abbott spoke of the cities of Mar
shall and Candy, the sewers of which now
drain into river that at certain seasoes
of the year becomes dry.
Some time was spent in discussion OF
the conditions at Anoka, where the sewers
are drained into the Mississippi, which
fact is considered highly detrimental to
the health of those people of Minneapolis
who depend upon the river for their water
supply.
Methods of disposing of sewage other
than by river drainage were touched upon,
and that which received greatest atten1
ton was the septic tank 1t was general
ly agreed that the septic tank is effective.
but it's practicability for use among the
towns of this state was questioned on the
ground OF expense. Ia
The visitors present all assured the
board of their hearty cooperation in any
plans that may in future be adopted. '.a-
Pure Water Sought. rai
ri. o. Leighton, representing the United
States geological survey. submitted a
proposition asking the cooperation of the
state board in plans to examine the
stFeams of the state with. reference to
the fitness of water for drinking pur-
poses. His immediate plans contemplate
a trip from Duluth across to Crookston
and some exploration Of the Mississippi
river; and it was suggested that this work
dents. The question of the boards par
ticipation in the plans. was left to the
executive committee with power to act, 4
The board in executive session devoted
a great deal of time to the question.of
the Golden Valley slaughter houses. which
have been complained of as a mustangs
Golden Valley is suburb of Minneapolis,
and a number of residents OF one portion
Of the city, are convinced that the prox;-
mental to the health of their neighbour
hood. Numerous witnesses were exam !
ined and the matter was taken under adj
visement by the board.