The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-03-15
WEDNESDAY: ,I i, MARCH Is. 1905, ...
Bad Streets. and Bad Health.

% 4
q During the discussion at the mass mass
meeting Of the Chamber q g 8 Conir'eicc
On Monday evening,it was SLY Sdti
distinguished citizen that the SdoathFrate
8t' n Richmond was due to bad water BAD
mir bad food, and the granite from ron
s,nacad amized streets. Before discus s SIN
8 o,,, streets, NE would point out that
Richmond was declared BY DR. DR.. 4 Hunter "
Mcclure to lie IN tho health belt otS We 5lI
rinn trhe climate, IN point OF equao ll Is.
~. sunny days and moderate va riat iors,
Is unsurpassed III America. s555s 3$s84
5s5Tho James River water is muddy but 1I.t
not unhcalthfu, assis shown by tho COM Y M
paratve typhoid statistics Of Rich mn no
and other cities. and with the compile.
4 lion of tie settling basin r richmond Will
have a supply Of drinking wat that VIII VI
S be an everlasting source Or neat ii'u ~
delight to- her people. u 5
I As for food we have one OF the best est
markets In. tho world Oysters ,5 i sh
game, garden vegetables OF sorts - are ar
All our very door, and II the public can
MI avail themselves Of the bounteou lE'
supplies Of nature, 1t Is because the pub
!95&1ic have not the money to do so.
to tic ma cadamzedS streets and tho.
srranite dust, they are doubtless response
bic9for q large degree Of }irti lon OF tho
nose and throat, and we are by no mems,
certain they are the best street saftaor
s8orr conditions. t is, however. ia y IRON @
ncci,ratc, III not wholly untrue and ut1-
# scientific, to blame bad streets for the
,,revalcnce 8 or consumption. The "a oI 81
word for medical science is that con-
sumption can be prevented by proper
sanitation, plenty OF light, nlr and rea-.
81 sonably clean: d wellng places, and such
requirements must: be made in order TO
solve the problem. And in order to have
clean houses 1t is obvious that tho pres
II ent method OF cleaning the streets, winch
allows such clouds ofadust to be blown
through them, will have to be radically
improved 4. III ", vi
5$ So long as two or three families are
crowded into ono small dwelling; SO long
as the already infected and the vol
breathe the same air and inhnbit the
same room, tuberculosis will continue Its
sprcad and ravages whether tho streets
arc mud holes ar asphalt.
VII The Times Dispatch Is fully alive to the
need Of good streets, and appreciates
8 thoroughly the necessary and wholly un-
nyoldablc expense to which Richmond has
been put by the pcrnicious system Of
appropriation, which has spent SO
& many dollars on street Improvement TO
IS no purpose. a crying need OF this city is
$ a system OF appropriation which will set
apart all the money for streets to be used
In como carefully thought out and COM
prehcnslve scheme for the benefit 0f the
N whole city, There Is 10 telling how much
the city would have been saved In actual
loss and how much It would have gained
in improved facilities had this principle
u been put into effect years ago. It was
therefore, in every degree gratifying to
hear the statement from Mr. John IS.
Minor that at thu next meeting OF the
III Street Committee, which Will be held on
IL Friday night, an effort will be made to
adopt this plan as the future principle
for making and expendlng street appro-
prations.
i, Every citizen who really cares Tor the
\ welfare and prosperity of this city could
h not lcndcra greater public service than
By using his Influence to secure the
adoption Of this long needed and aDso-
lutcly essential reform
gthE,E5 ds Pig aat