Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-08-03
FOR SANITARY CARS
State Board of Health Will
Make Crusade Against I'm
sanitary Conditions
CUSHIONS RESORT OF GERMS
Belief that Contagious Diseases are
Spread as Result Of Unsanitary
Coaches, Sleepers and Street Cars
Legislature May be Asked to Act
Iowa News.
peclal to Times-Republlcan.

Special to Times Republican.
Sioux City, Aug. 3.-The state board
of health at Its recent session in Des
Mones, decided to make crusade
against the unsanitary condition OF
passenger coaches, sleeping cars and
street cars.
The movement has received con-
slderatlon by the boards Of health OF
other states, but as yet few have taxi
en- any decided measures. 1t has been
recognized fact for long time THAT
the heavy plush cushions of passen-
ger coaches are the resort Of germs
Of many kinds of contagious disease
and. that the railroad companies sell
dom take the trouble to funigate the
cars. 1t is true that many companies
have regulations to the effect that cars
should be thoroughly disinfected at
least once a year, but porters on the
trains say that 1t Is not done even this
often
DR.. r. z. COMMIT, of Sioux City.
| president Of the Iowa board, said yes
| terday, apropoS Of the movement:
"The state board Of health is going
to make q thorough investigation Of
the conditions of western railroads
which run passenger coaches through
Iowa l. as president of the board,
have been authorized to name a COM
mittee to look into the matter and re-
port at the October session. This
committee will be headed by the state
bacterlologist, DIR. Henry Albert, and
will proceed in a systematic manner.
Cultures will be made from the dust
In the cushions of ordinary coaches,
and IL 1t is found lodged there, legisla-
ton to remedy the evil win be recon-
mended.
1.-THE idea Of the board was that
all coaches should be disinfected at
their terminals. We do not believe
that we are asking too much of the
railroads to comply with such a
regulation. The for7nald ehyde meth
cd is very inexpensive and perfect
Immigration is obtained. The pass
enger coaches are almost air tight
when closed and can be disinfected
in short time. Everything Is SO
simple and can be done so easily that
1t seems hardly necessary that the
railroad companies need be required to
obey a law of this nature.
when the report of the American
Health society Is made it Is very prob
able Ut will recommend better sanita-
ton of passenger cars and then every
state in the union will be urged to pass,
laws similar to the one proposed for
Iowa. AS 1t is, adjoining states will
be asked to cooperate and carry the
movement to successful issue.
1--WE are not by this means advising
crank legislation, and If the conditions
did not warrant our interference we
would never have taken the matter
up But we all know that some
coaches are not cleaned from one
years end to another and that when
such state of affairs exists conlagi-
Gus disease cannot help being pres
emit"
"But them" continued DR.. Commit
Cleanliness of the home is the most
essential, after all. While we are seek
ing to better conditions Of the common
carriers for the public convenience
and health, the people must remember
that unsanitary conditions in their
own homes are responsible for more
than half of the disease"