The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-01-01
CITY PHYSICIAN EXPLAINS
Urges Citizens to Join in General
Clean-Up-Maintains His Posi-
ton in the Matter.

Provo, Dec 31-Dr J. II. Slater city
health physician. this evening gave out
the following statement, explanatory Of
his connection with the general unsanItary
condition in this city:
1t seems a number Of business men in
Provo are of the opinion that fighting the
board of health gives the city better
reputation than to quietly clean up their
premises as requested. l know that Provo
~ as clean as the average town, but that
is no excuse for its not being cleaner and
having better sanitation than any and 1
have worked to this view. These unsani-
tary places do exist and all the resolutions
and abuse in the world cannot make il
otherwise. Ii anyone will take the trouble
to visit our slaughter houses or 90 be-
hind the bill boards or store buildings
they can see il for themselves. The court
house block is as bad as any and as Mar
shall Henry says. L am not ready to apollo
gize for anything done so far and only
hope it will cause a general cleanup. All
the cases prosecuted to date have been
lost by the city, nor on account of lack of
justice of the case. but for technical er-
rors in the charges or lack of proof that
the accused party caused the nuisance
No denial was made as 10 the existence of
a nuisance, but something was weak in a
legal way. which is surely 10 fault Of the
health officer. This is based upon the
statement of one of the jurymen and he
said the rest agreed with him.
telephOned DR.. Beatty of the result
and advised him that we were still plug
part would be appreciated. He sent DR..
Clark TO Provo and the Salt Lake papers
getting hold of it roasted our city IN
their usual manner.
Mr. Irvine. president of the Commercial
club. called me back of the store building;
about the first of November and asked If
such a nuisance could not be abated by
the board of health and requested that his
name be not connected with it. ! prom
ised to use all the means within my power
TO have it done and the marshal started
at the work Immediately. for which Mr.
Irvine thanked me and hoped il would
succeed Since then, as president OF the
Commercial club. he called a meeting of
Indignation at my action and to avoid
showing his first connection with the mat
ter studiOuSly avoided sending me an in
vitation to the meeting.
President Brimhall. at this meeting
must have guessed at the condition of his
school (and I hope he guessed correctly
for a student suffering with diphtheria,
mingled with the others for three or -four
days and Mr.. Brimhall was unaware OF
his illness even after he haG been quaran-
tined. After several years struggle. DR.
Taylor as health officer succeeded in get
ting our schools i'm fairly good sanitary
condition and ! am trying to carry This
good work forward. In this we have been
ably assisted by Superintendent Rawlings.
who is one of the most interested and in
telligent men ever came in contact with
on sanitation. and he has the hearty sup
port OF the teachers in marked contrast ia
the attitude Of number Of our business
men. In spite of this good condition OF
our schools and Mr. Farrer's statement
there have been TWENTY-FIVE or thirty
cases of contagion sent home by teachers
instead Of three. and I believe one of the
members OF the investigating committee
had this happen in his family
The personal attack made upon me by