New-York tribune., 1907-07-04
FIGHT RIVER POLLUTION.
Campaign against Pulp Mills
Dumping Refuse in Hudson.

The upstate fight against the pollution of the
Hudson River and other streams is assuming
strenuous aspect. The hearing at Fort Edwards
Tuesday before DR.. Eugene Porter, the State
Health Commissioner, showed clearly the attitude
of the manufacturers of pulp and also evinced
desire the part of the complaining farmers
under state protection to fight pollution of the
streams the limit.
The evidence showed that the Hudson being
polluted to the extent of killing edible tsh, destroy
ing its utility for drinking purposes, and making
II menace to the farmers with places on its
banks because of the odors arising from the refuse
dumped into it by the pulp mills. The hearing
was postponed until August To- but it is said that
81 is doubtful whether the pulp mills VIII nave
representatives there. -
The state authorities demand that these mills
shall dispose of their refuse by incineration. lhey
say that drainage into the Hudson is not at dH
necessarv even from an economical point of view
But the pulp mill owners say that lnclherdtloh
will be an enormous expense and Will coInpel d
great advance the price of the paper turned out
at the mills 1t Is understood 10 DE lI.e Leei
Governor Hughes that the latter contention Is Wl'l
basis in fact. The postponement or the near,
ing is primarily intended to give the pup nllil
an opportunity to prove their contention
AT the hearing farmers from far and near al
though weeks behind in their farm work. left their
fields and reldy to give evidence concerning
the alleged nuisance along the river that mas II
was said. existed since the mills were estao-
lished. about ten years Repeated appeals
heretofore for executive intervention on Delldu VI
the people. invariably sidetracked at Albany;
Attorneys for the pulp companies appeared ana
made objections tc the procedure, hut the HeaIth
Commissioner called them 10 order wnereupoh Iile
attorneys Indignantly filed out of the room fte-
turning later they endeavored again to object out
Commissioner Porter squelched the dlscontehts.
The table in front OF the Commissioner was
covered with glass jars containing refuse repre-
senting all the cOlors Of the rainbow together
with mill in various stages OF decomposition
These were exhibited and offered In evidence
One of the witnesses left the stand and ran down
the river few rods away ana brought up
fresh sample and laid II before the commissioner
The mill owners say that If they cannot use the
Hudson River to dispose Of the mill wastes they
will be compelled to shut down, which would
work q great hardship to the community AS was
stated. however the slight expense TO dispose
effectually of the refuse would not be permitted
to embarrass the plants the investments amount
ing in these to 100000. and besides. the
growing opposition the pollution Of streams
and rivers throughout the country would MAKE
removal otner parts remote contingency
The pulp mills were represented by James T.
Potter OF New York; Charles f Moore, OF SANDY
HIN. and Fenk L. Bell. Of Glens Falls Edward
Hatch tr. Maurice b. Dean. J. Y. Culyer. Henry
Thompson and Willard Robinson. Of New YORK
and Dr. Willis G. Tucker Of Albany. appeared
for the riparian owners, the farmers
The general fight against the pollution or upstate
streams has been extended to Syracuse. the result
Of an investigation of the disposal Of the waste OF
that city By the State Board Of Health in letter
TO Mayor Forbes containing the following:
This department thc State Board of IIealth'
will hereafter require that no sewage shall he dis
charged into any Of the waters of the Oswego
River without preliminary treatment The degree
publication required will in general he as fol-
lows: In the Of persons. corporations or
municipalities situated the lakes of the oswego
watershed, not used for public water supplies no
sewage shall he allowed enter such lakes with
out being nrst purified 10 such degree that all
solid and suspended matter will he removed and
that no odors other offence shall he created IN
the vicinity Of the points Of sewage discharge. "
This means that Syracuse viii have to find a way
Of plIrifvng its sewage before entering Onondaga
Creel, Lake, hnd some other means Of getting
rid OF the waste. A. present all Of the sewage
emptying into the creek and the lake contains sus
pended solid matter. Dr. Porter says that care
ful investigation was made Of the amount Of sew
age the sources the paths II follows and the pop
ulatiou Of the communities along the watershed Of
the Oswego River The aim to protect the
cities and towns drinking water from the river.
The removal Of sewage from the waters tributary
10 the river he SAYS. is necessary