The Newtown bee., 1906-02-23

whole State 162 The deaths reported from infectious diseases were 2lO, be- 157 per cent of the total mortality In regard to the water supply of the state, Dr Lindsey says: The inti- mate relation of water supplies to the public health is now universally rec ognized throughout the civilized world. Hence wherever any organized provision is made for the protection of sion of the work is regarded as more important than the continuous over sight of the public water service and means of testing it's purity. Some eight or 10 years ago, the State Board of Health was empowered by statute to ascertain as far as practicable all facts in relation to the pollution of streams and the natural waters of the State," and the Treasurer was direct ed to pay for such investigation, on the Comptroller's warrant, S2,500 an- nually. Although this amount was found very inadequate to carry on the investigation as extensively and Sys- tematically as it is done in some other states, the amount has been used as economically as possible in examining and in the following year taking an other portion until all should have been examined. Because of changes to which all public supplies are expos ed the examinations of all should be made annually. A portion of the ap- propriation has necessarily been held to meet the cost of examining private supplies, wells, etc., which the law al- so requires. The typhoid epidemics which occur from time to time, are al- most always due to infected water. They are sometimes called Milk epi. denies but in more than 90 per cent. it was infected water that infected the milk. It is doubtful if the State expense, that has brought such imme- diate and satisfactory results. Every month the Chemist of the Board re- ports number of supplies that are dangerous and should be condemned. others as suspicious and should be bet ter guarded. Nota great while ago in one of the large cities of the State, the WelI-to-dO part of the community, were supplied with popular table wa ter in bottles. It was bright and sparkling and perfectly clear. Upon a chemical examination it was found to be grossly contaminated. In 1898, un- 25O of the wells which supply the pub lie schools in rural Connecticut were examined. A majority were found to be more or less polluted and only about one- third, as appeared by analy- sis, were free from sewage pollution. The work of examining reservoirs of public supplies is not only directly useful, but is probably even more use- full indirectly. As these analyses are published, every water company is stimulated, as it can be in no other way. to produce as good quality of water as possible. With such evidence of the value, not to say necessity for public safety is this service, it is diff cult to know why the Committee of Appropriation took the responsibility of reducing the appropriation for this work from $2, 500 per year to S1,00O. But such being the fact, the examina
 tion of the public water supplies must cease, and there is doubt if there is a sufficient sum to defray the expense of examining the wells of citizens, which if demanded, the law requires the Board to do. Again, the Appropri- ation Committee also cut down the amount hitherto paid to the Board for general expenses, f.om $4, 900 per year to $2,5OO. The former amount was barely sufficient to meet the impera- tive expenses incurred in the discharge of the duties imposed upon the Board by law, in respect to which it has no discretion but to obey.