The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1906-04-25

terrific cost in human life, it has ilnany
dawned upon the people that a higher
authority than the municipality must
grapple with the problem and afford a
remedy 1t is, therefore, of interest
TO every citizen of the commonwealth
to know about the work that Health
Commissioner Dixon is doing to pre-
serve the purity of the waters of the
upon him by the act of April 22
1905.
The enormity of the task is com,
pretended when one realizes the fact
that almost without an exception
every city, borough and mu ulicipality
in Pennsylvania having saver sys-
TEN dischor % its filth into the most
convenient nearby stream, regardless
of consequences to the user of that
stream at some point below.
Further, where there are no sew.
ers, privies are almost universally To-
Gated on or near the banks of natural
water courses, which thus serve as
open sewers. BY no known mathe-
matics is it possible to compute the
extent Of evil, the misery, expense,
poverty lifelong suffering and death
which this custom entails; but it is a
fact that a large amount Of it all would
be driven from the state il sanitary
methods of sewage disposal were
adopted.
1t is the privilege, as well as the
duty, of the ytate Health Commission.
or to bring about just this result. No
short sighted, vac.ilating and radical
policy could be successful in such a
great undertaking. 1t will necessarily
be the work of years to undo the Gus
toms of generations and establish uni.
versal healthful conditions. Its sue
cess in a measure depends upon the
enlightenment and cooperation of the
people. The stupidity and sllepticism
of a preoccupied and selfish populace
is a barrier to quick results. Where
the public conscience is quickened,
voluntary reforms will be inaugurated
and benefits will be at once secured.
In other cases the law will have to be
invoked and enforced.
The Chief Engineer of the Depart
ment, f. Herbert Snow, and his assis
tants are now traversing every part of
the State making examinations of
sewerage SYSTEMS and water supplies
and collecting data with respect to the
quality of all of the waters in Penn
Bylvania. More than this is being done,
sources of pollution and menaces which
can be abated at once are reported to
the commissioner, and in many cases
a request on his part to the owner
of the premises is sufficient to cause
a removal Of the nuisance The num-
ber of letters of encouragement and
cooperation in this kind of reform
received by the commissioner splendid
ly illustrates the willingness OF the cit
izens of the state to do what is right.
In few cases owners wilfully refuse
to do away with the causes of disease,
in which event they are being brought
into court or forced to comply with the
law.
Another important feature of the
commissioner work is appealing to
the municipalities, namely, the utiliz-
ing free of cost to them of the services
Of the engineering department in con-
sultation and advice respecting the in
stallation of rev water works and sew
er systems and the extensions of exist
ing systems. This engineering service
does not interfere with the work of
the engineer IN private practice, but
increases it. The state department
gives free Of cost the very best engi-
neering advice procurable, which has
already resulted in saving to munich
palities large sums of money by OBJ
waiting costly mistakes. In carrying
out the general advice and suggestions
of the state department, the municipal
tiles must employ their own engineers,
but before plans are finally adopted
they pass for approval to the health
commissioner. DR.. Dixon confidently
asserts that through his engineering
division he will save to the munich
palities in the state hundreds of thou
sands of dollars, and at the same time
work with the local authorities in car
ryipo out 1ncol irnnroyemaOts