The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-03-08
URGE PURE WATER
FOR THE SCHOOLS
Improvement League Committee
Gives Public the oppor-
tunity to Do SO.
Circulates Petitions to Be Pre-
scented to Board Of Educa-
ton at Once.
Facts and Figures Gathered to
Show the Urgency Of
the Need.

Pure water for drinking purposes
In the public schools has become an
imperative necessity, say members Of
the Minneapolis Improvement league .
educational committee. The danger
from typhoid is too great to be guard
ed against by mere word OF eau
ton to the pupils against drinking
city water now provided in the pub
lie schools. A member Of the COM
mittee put the case forcibly this morn
ing by saying that If the number of
Minneapolis people who have died in
the past year had died in one day
from the same cause, the public would
have insisted upon a change In the
water supply without a moments loss
of time. If the number Of school
children who have died In the past
year had died within week as the
result Of an epidemic in some school,
the public demand for a change of
conditions would have been so loud
and so insistent that it would have
been secured. no matter if the cost
We're great, almost ION the spot" The
committee says the effect is the same,
and that the time has come when the
10000 children of the schools should
have as good water to drink as is pro-
vided for the city officials at the city
Jail.
Committee Goes to Work.
The committee has. therefore. taken
UP the question of pure water for the
schools in a way that promises to
bring early results. Their friends are
circulating petitions turnout the city,
and these will be presented to the
board of education at an early date,
with information and figures to show
ing the city's residents year by year
and what 1t would cost to supply the
schools with pure water. An exam
pie Of what they have learned with
regard to the cost of typhoid to those
families in which typhoid has existed
secured by DR.. III. M. Bracken Of the
state board of health.
In twelve years st. Paul has had 447
deaths by typhoid. Minneapolis, in
the same time, has had Lilo. In the
last three years st. Paul has had So
- 229 In these same three years st.
Paul has had 1910 cases and Min
neapolis has had 5,985-an excess over
st. Paul of 4,645.
The ladies of the subcommittee Of
the Improvement Leagues educa-
ton committee in charge of the mat
ter of pure water In 1.-The public
schools, estimate that the funeral
expenses for each death will average
not less than 800. They estimate
diSo lilaI Lie average cost VI iHeuiCdA
attendance in each case will easily
reach $50. This makes the total ex-
pense to Minneapolis people who
have suffered from typhoid them
selves or have had 1t in their. fam
lilies In the past three years $50S,700,
an average Of nearly $4,000 a
year. This, the committee says,
would easily meet the expense Of
providing the city with the very
purest water that could be had
These figures leave out Of consider
alton also the tremendous loss in
wages and the value of a human life
to the civic body. which the state
estimates at $4,000.
The committee also finds that about
one in three Of those who die OF
typhoid in Minneapolis are children
This Is a very large proportion and
means to the committee that specia
care should be taken in protecting
pupils in the public schools. Ever
If only one case in five was that of g
child, the proportion of the cost OF
typhoid cases among children
would far exceed the cost of pure
water in the schools. This cost woult
be about $16,500 a year. 1t is be-
lieved it could be arranged for with
out great difficulty at once.
Petitions Signed by Many.
The petitions that have been circu
lated thus far have been generOuSl.
signed At meeting of the Henne
pin County Medical Association las
night, which was largely attended
every physician present, except one
signed the petition. Another petition
circulated at the Chamber Of Com
merce yesterday was signed by NOR
than 200 business men. A large pc
tition has also been secured at tn
state university. The committee i
greatly encouraged by the READINGS
with which the people of the cit,
are signing the petitions, especial.
in view of the fact that 1t was onl
Sunday morning that the first peti
ton was started out.
One man said: "Sign the petition
would like to sign it several times
would sign it If it meant heav
pecuniary obligation One case Of ty
phoid in my family cost more tina
$1,000, and that was not ALL
Many others feel just as this ma
Eens are already supplying sprin
water.
The Committee.
The educational committee Of tn
Improvement league consists of Mr..
A. w. Rankin, chairman: Mrs. D. F
simpson, Mrs. Emma Beard, Mrs. .
*. Hosmer, Mrs. J. r. Garland, Mr.!
Reyes Mrs. J. A. Crosby. The sub
committee having the pure waite
matter in hand consists Of Mrs. Cros
by, Mrs. Asa Wilcox, Mrs. J. Ed
wards, Mrs. H. F. Newhall, Mrs. f
3. Hudson, Miss Gratia Countrymar