New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-04-27
DUST.

A few dusty statistics about dust are In or
der these breezy days. The public does not
Seem 10 be aware of the great dangers of
breathing city dust and of the relative ease
with which these dangers may be avoided
1.-The Medical Journal" has Just published DR.
w. Gilman Thompson's report about the bac-
ter1al population in dust notes. and the facts
are startling enough to give rise TO an anti
dust league. The terrifying list Of oral. nasal
and bronchial diseases which the doctor saws
may be contracted from street dust makes
complaints against ordinary SCOT read like
compliments. We are told that conjunctivitis.
nasal catarrh, diseases Of the middle ear. TON
silitis, quinsy, laryngitis, bronchitis. pneumonia
and influenza may Jointly or severaly result
from a brief morning promenade through any
Of our sO-called streets. DR.. Thompson declares
that nine-tenths of all inhalation diseases are
dirt diseases.
To avoid these Affections the dust in our
streets must be either removed or kent CON
tinually wet during the warm months. Com
plete removal save on asphalted streets. can
be effected only by flushing, but the limited
supply OF fresh water prevents the liberal use
Of fire hydrants for this purpose Salt wafer
mains have not yet been installed and an ex-
tensive system Of that kind will not be ready
for many years to come But the Street DeDar+
ment might use water carts OF some Imnroved
pattern and I'LL them at the waterfront There
are many kinds of patent water carts designed
both TO soak and TO remove dust and in various
we'll governed European and American cities
such carts have long been successfully used
One sort employed in some German municlpaIi-
ties is equipped with rotary rubber sweeps
which drive into the gutter the dirt that has
been thoroughly soaked by stream of water
thrown just in advance Of the sweeDs. With
little or no further assistance the resulting
thin mud sweeps into the sewer The water
carts might be loaded at the waterfront with
out much trouble by equipping them with hand
pumps, which could be driven by the unexer-
cised arms OF the cartmen. Or would this be
asking too much of these high municipal Off
GERS! The objection raised in the past by CITY
engineers and others, that the sewers might
be clOgged by the vast quantities OF mud thus
driven into them probably holds good only in
certain parts Of the town where old mines with
slight pitch still survive. In such districts
though, mere frequent sprinkling would be
vastly better than the present dO-nOthing sys-
TEN.
But how about the cost? The reply NAV no
found in a brief study of the bill winch under
the kindly guidance of Assemblyman Hackett
has just been passed by the Assembly. This
measure raises the pay OF all street cleaners.
drivers and stablemen in the Street Cleaning
Department TO $500 a year on the basis of
forty -eight-hour week-all overtime work call
ing for extra pay. An innocent looking bill. at
first glance! But Il beautiful demonstration
that the Street Cleaning Department is more
interested in it's employees than in the streets
and the public. Street sweeping Is the least ex-
acting form Of unskilled labor yet the Assembly
has hOnOred It with pay equal or SUPERIOR tn
that of craftsmen, chain and rod men, garden
ers. stenOgraphers, bOokkeepers and streetcar
cOnductorsi AS there are about four thousand
men affected by the bill. and as the increase
is $50 an employe, the hackers OF the bill pro-
pose TO make the taxpayers spend an addi-
tiOnal 100000 on its beneficiaries
This sum is surely more than enough TO b,r,
10 water carts and $50 horses and to pay