Amador ledger., 1905-10-13
The Sanitary Question.

The rot that is being published
about Incorporation being guarantee
OF good health is simply disgusting.
If the argument is worth anything,
carried to its logical uItimatum, it
means that disease has no foothold in
incorporated towns; that incorpor
alton is the magic wand that lifts the
affected territory from earthly sur
roundings and lands it in paradise,
where the tree of life flourishes in
eternal youth. Here is a sample OF
the literary stuff that Is being
drummed into the public ear on this
issue:
With two new cases Of typhoid
fever reported and case of diph-
liberia in town, it seems TO US that
the action OF the supervisors in putt
ing off the question of Incorporation.
and thereby making it possible to
prevent such diseases appearing in
our midst, was ill-timed and ill
advised.-Dispatch.
We do not believe there are half
dozen people in jackson who take
any stock in such newspaper rawlings;
who really believe that the heaIthtuI-
ueSS or d JdCnSUu- rrIUtISrrrJrTJry
affected whether incorporated OF
uninoorporated. Ii this were the
main argument for taking on city
airs, the Ledger would be compelled
TO range itself against incorporation.
jackson is not, and never has been,
an unhealthy town. It will compare
to-day in heaIthfulness with any
mountain town of its size in the
state. We protest against such libeIs
being sent broadcast over the state,
conveying as they do utterly errone-
GUS ideas concerning this foothiIl
region. In the same issue of the
Dispatch reference is made to four
cases of typhoid fever at jackson
Gate, two miles from town, and with
not to exceed 100 Inhabitants. Why
not agitate to incorporate jackson
Gate for the banishment of fever. Ii
is fifty times more afflicted, accord
ing to its own statement, than the
town of jackson Then again it
mentions the fact that mem bers of a
family in Middle Fork school district
are recovering from the same fever.
This is a rural district, six miles
east of Jackson. And yet it wishes
to convey the idea that jackson is
suffering above all other places in the
county because of unsanitary CON
ditions that might be, and would be
according to this prophet, remedied
10y incorporation.
In the presence of such reasoning.
we are almost led to question the
motives Of such advocates of Incor-
poration, and ascribe their advocacy
to seIf-interest, rather than desire
to promote the welfare of the town.
With the restriction OF area of the
proposed city, the Ledger will be
found on the side of incorporation,
but we do not propose to urge
friendly vote by creating hopes
which we know full well are doom
ed to disappointment. That clean
lipess has an important bearing upon
health we admit; that a thorough
system of swerage Is desirable for
sanitary reasons cannot be disput-
ed. But the fact remains that
system which experts proclaim as
necessary to affect the public health,
Is far beyond the reach of this town,
and indeed would be financially I'M
practicable even though Jaokson's
population and wealth were FIVE
times larger than at present. We
indulge in no such utopian theories
of the banishment of death and
disease. We do not go TO the extent OF
advocating incorporation as a means
of warding off diseases.
We want incorporation because the
requirements of this community, the
care of our streets, the sewerage of
the east side of Main street, and
other matters. such as fire protection,
lighting, and sprinkling, need a
local government to take charge of.
We want to substitute the policy OF
letting every individual fix up for
himself, with a systematic effort
under the direction of authorized
officials. The trial may prove a dis
appointment, bat certainly the i'm
provements contemplated, extending
it may be over a decade or more, are
well worth trial.