The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1904-03-09
Il WANT 10 KNOW. :


Citlzen Springs Several PERTH
nent Interrogstions.
People Of Town Nave Right to Know
What viii Be Done By Prospective
City Fathers Seine Promises and
What Came Of Them OfIicials and
Their Psrqaisites.
To the Editor OF the New DOMINION
The time is opportune to call the
attention of the citizens Of the town
to the necessity of electing mayor
and council who will exercise a care
for the welfare of the community.
Ne one who resides here will deny
that such care has been greatly
neglected. Numerous articles have
appeared in the papers about flag
rant neglect on part OF the council
to do the best for the town and it's
people. We have right to insist
that our municipal business be con-
Quoted economically as well as ably.
II the present regime is satisfactory
return the officers to power; if not,
vote them to well merited OBJ
security.
How many citizens of Morgan
town know the inside influences
worked on the council in the matter
of granting franchises to competing
companies desiring TO furnish the
town with gas? / venture to say,
not many. Still We are entitled to
receive at the hands of our council
the opportunity 10 get as good ae-
commodations as we now enjoy at
reduced rates il we can.
What provision has. the council
made to safeguard the lives of the
patrons of the only play house Of the
town? Who does not know of and
comment on the extreme danger to
life should panic from any cause
occur in this truly black hole of Cal
cutta? With the Holocaust of the
Iroquois theatre still hanging like
nightmare over the entire country
this public theatre in Morgantown
is allowed to nightly invite the
pleasure-loving public to the agony
of death by burning or crushing. Is
there any excuse possible for such
criminal neglect as thisf
What provision has the council
made to guarantee pure water for
the people of Molgantown? Every
one remembers the promises and ex
travagant statements of what it was
going TO do. These promises and
statements were crystalized for the
public in an scpen letter" appearing
in the New DOMINION June 10, 1908,
signed by the President Of the Uni
versity and the Mavor of the town;
these gentlemen deeming it their
duty in the interests of truth and
justice" TO 60 before the public with
such statement. The rrmors con
corning the health of Morgantown.
however damaging, were not false.
These gentlemen did not thoroughly
canvass the possible sources of in.
formation else they could not issue
such statement, especially in the
interest OF truth and justice.
The commercial patriotism of the
communication was unmasked in
the last sentence, which showed the
whole thing to be a bid for students
for the summer quarter. This was
the sentence: CHOSE contemplating
attendance at the Summer school
need not hesitate On account of the
hygienic situation at Morgantown."
Ii there was no occasion for alarm
why announce that the council, with
the cooperation of the University
authorities, would take prompt
measures TO improve sanitary con
ditiohs?
There was great cause for alarm
in Morgantown then, and the letter
10 increase the attendance at the
summer quarter did not recite the
facts as then existed. At that very
time such examinations as bad been
made at the Station by the Univer-
si,y authorities showed the water to
be not only bad, but very bad. The
president Of the University, there
fore, had the information at first
hand had he cared for it. The mayor
of the town also had the opportunity
to know of the dangerous condition
of the water at that time. 1t would
be of interest to the citizens of the
town and the patrons of the Uni
versity to have the President and
the Mayor recite the legerdemain
act by which they narcotized the
public apprehension and purified
the water supply of the town by an
open letter.
The council promised the people
an expert analysis of the water. To
this they were estltled. They have
not had it and with the mortality
of Columbus, Plymouth. Ithica aud
Butler the same open letter OF June
10 1908, still keeps the water sup
ply of Morgantown pure. TO com
ment further ON such proceeding
would be to insult the intelligence
Of an already outraged public.
What DO the people get for this
outlay of money!
What do the health officers do for
the public? Do they scientifically
determine the cause of any disease?
Do they reliably examine the water
supply OF the town?
What do they do? / he people paw
them and are entitled TO know what
they receive for their money. When
a physician reports case of-smal!-
pox, measles, scarlet fever or diph-
iberia, the health officer tacks up a
sign perhaps fumigates the house
after the case has recovered. Could
not the sanitary police tack up
signs and shake smoker to so call
disinfect the apartments? What else
do the people get for their money?
Gould the doctor in attendance tack
up his own signs? Could the families
fumigate their own homes under the
doctors directionsp
There is no effort being made to
determine the health conditions of
the town. We have plenty of so
called health ofticers-no one of
whom, aside from expounding the
law on quarantine regulations, are
doing anything locking to the prop
ell establishment of sanitary efforts
for the benifit of the town. We have
n oo,rtx, baolfb of3iaar rooo;x;or -.