The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-06-07


Judge T.. +. Carver, representing the
board of education, came before the
council with a document which is the
opening gun in the school boards night
on the existing plumbing ordinance,
which as it now stands prohibits the
installation of the latrine system Of
closets on the ground that they are I'M
safe and unsanitary.
It seems to be merely a question OF
fact for the city council to decide The
city plumbing Inspector and DR. Men
ninger. chairman of the board Of
health, condemn in most emphatic
terms the latrine system, and produce
evidence to show that the latrine sys-
tenn is discarded by all progressive
that the system used by the board Of
education is SO manipulated that all the
work goes outside Of Topeka the local
firms being practically disbarred from
competition
All these allegations are denied by
the board of education, and they insist
that the latrine system is the best az
well as the cheapest
The council referred the whole mat
ter to the committee on health and
sanitation The general opinion seems
to be that the request of the board Of
eduoa tion for two vital amendments 10
the existing plumbing law viii be
granted thus allowing the board 10
continue the use Of latrine closets.
A part of the letter addressed to the
council by f. F. Mallory, chairman Of
the board Of education, is as follows:
of education has had occasion to carry
on extended Investigations on the sub
4 ject of sanitary water closets ard 1rt-
I nails for school buildings. We have also
I had experience with closets Of differ
ent patterns A latrine closet Of a cer-
I tain kind, after being installed in the
Polk school, was found to be unsaris-
I factory and unsanitary and fit for out
door use only. This was condemned
] by the board of education and was re-
placed by the American latrine closets
1 and urinals. These We're installed in
the Polk, Garfield, Clay. Sumner, Lin
I coin, and Potwin schools, and we have
/ found them to be sanitary without
odor, well ventilated. simple in opera
4 ton easily kept clean, and capable Of
4 being kept in repair with practically no
] expense. The experience o superin-
/ tendents and engineers Of school build
! ings in other cities has been similar to
I ours While latrine closets of some pat
/ terms are poorly ventilated and unsani-
i tary, the closets of the type which has
4 been adopted by us have been found to
I be sanitary and satisfactory On an
/ attached sheet is submitted partial
I list of buildings in other cities in which
these closets are in use
4 ITO secure perfect flushing and ven
ltilation of closet fixtures there should
4 be an outlet properly trapped and ven
1 ted copious flushing from a tank au-
4 tomato In operation with periodical
4 flush; such automatic flushing to take
4 place at frequent intervals whether the
/ closets are used or not, and not lin1t-
ted to a single flushing at the time Of
use. In addition to this. there should
I be provided for both closets and uri-
/ nails continuous flush from lateral
( supply pipes. Local ventilation should
4 be secured by ventilating ducts con-
nected to each closet seat and urinaI
Z stall and operated by means of a stack
/ heater or exhaust fan. Without such
N local ventilation it is impossible to keep
the room free from vitia1ed air.
4 The present city ordinance is defec-
tive in falling to provide for local ven
/ tilation without which there is no
means Of preventing foul air from en-
tering the room. and in limiting the
flushing Of closets to separate tank
for each stool which discharges only
once at the time when the fixture is
used. whereas the flushing should be
automatic and at frequent intervals.
Then follows the text Of the two pro-
posed amendments, and a long list OF
fConr5nl,ed On PAGE Tbree.1