Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-13
A GRAVE BLUNDER

-
communities are disturbed be-
~ cause of the utter inactivity Of
Berkeley, Alameda and other towns in
health authorities admit that the minor
bay cities have become infected as
surely as has San Francisco. While
there have been few cases and the
number Of fatalities thus far has been
insignificant, centers OF infection have
been established in these cities and
some medical authorities apprehend
serious danger of a spread of the mall
ady. While there have been deaths
from the plague in all the larger bay
cities, none but San Francisco and
Oakland has taken practical steps to
rid itself, so far as possible, of the
known purveyors of the disease-rats.
If the Sacramento Union is to be
relied upon, as it usually is, the posi-
tion of the inhabitants of these towns,
notably Alameda and Berkeley, is that
people may die, if they must, Of a
malady that is nothing short of torture,
but If any effort is made to kill rats
business will be injured, and upon no
account must business be hurt There
fore, Oakland expends tens of thous-
ands in killing rats, while Berkeley
and Alameda breed them that Oakland
may be daily reinfected. Nor are the
deaths confined to 'chinks' and Hindus.
Deaths have been mainly among white
Sc tvoa ~ hn lo errfn
fieas and flies infest the rats and then
bite white persons as readily as per-
sons of other races, and the result is
death by slow torture"
This is most grave charge. Com
ing from so reliable an authority as the
Sacramento newspaper referred to, 1t
has weight The Union prophesies that
unless strenuous efforts are put forth
to rid all the bay cities of the germ
of this frightful disease the plague
probably will become epidemic in that
quarter and thus be a constant menace
to the entire Pacific coast, if not, in
deed, to the nation. 1t argues that the
governor and the state board of
health should appoint inspectors for
the bay district and that notice should
be served upon all slothful commun-
tiles where the plague has developed
that eff they do not go at their rat
killing with determination, that if they
do not kill them as they would kill SO
many rattlesnakes, then shall the state
quarantine these cities and throw cor
dons of troops around them that nc
persons may pass in or out"
That the conservative Sacramento
Union should sound such note of
alarm as this may be taken as evidence
that the Berkeley and Alameda author
tiles have grievously blundered. 1t is
a short-sighted policy that dictates
to the officials of any community that
human life shall be sacificed in order
that upon no account must business
be hurt"
! Los Angeles, fortunately, has been
free from the bubonic plague. Bear
| ing we'll in mind the adage that an
ounce of prevention is worth tons oi
cure, this city some time since begar
a campaign of self-cleaning, the like
of which probably was never before
witnessed in any American city under
the circumstances. 1t cost us q for
| tune, but the money was expended in
good cause and all concerned are
content. If Los Angeles had not puri-
fled itself and one single thoroughly
identified case of the plague had come
into evidence it would have worked IT.
reparable harm to the city.
That Berkeley and Alameda should
take so sophistical a view of the situ-
alton confronting them is incompre-
hensible. Berkeley, in particular, the
seat of a university which draws upon
every community in the state for stu
dents, should look at the matter more
sanely. 1t is the supremacy of selfish
ness, and of sordidness as we'll, fol-
any city or town to allow any neglect
on its own part to threaten the peace
comfort or, greater than all, the
health of neighboring community.
Berkeley and Alameda should be
compelled to cleanse themselves
whether they prefer to remair
disease infected for the purpose
Of protecting their business
or not. If they do not voluntarily de
so the state should take them in hand
and in the meantime if it can be of.
ficially shown that ordinary precau.
tions against the plague have not
been adopted by those towns they
should be rigidly quarantined unit
they have been purified. Human lif;
is not yet become so cheap that Il
should be subordinated to the com
mercial instinct.