The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1907-03-01
A Word From the Local Socialists.
Editor of the Reformer;--

Editor of the Reformer:-
At the social meeting of the Local
Brattleboro 5. u. A. held at the Public
Reading room, corner OF Canal and South
Main streets, Tuesday evening, January
30 the articles on sanitation by DIR.
Tucker and DR.. Miller were read, listened
to with deep interest and discussed.
The following points were well brought
out:
LIST. We heartily endorse the whole
of both articles and especially do we
endorse the condemnation of the use
of Milestone brook as a sewer.
2nd. We agree with the doctors that
all the different forms of sanitation
they have so ably advocated are prime
necessities to the health Of the citizens
of Brattleboro.
And we 90 further. We believe that
not only should our school children be
protected by efficient sanitation and medi-
cal inspection, but that the womanhood
of Brattleboro should be better protected.
And now to be more explicit; we believe
that shops, stores and all places where
the working class are obliged to spend such
large per cent. of their time, and es-
pecially such places where women are
employed, should be equipped with all
sanitary conveniences known to science;
also the tenements where these future
mothers must spend the rest of their
time, unless they go to some OF the
churches or the auditorium or other places
of public amusement which the good doc
tors showed to be disease breeding places.
The doctors know better than we can tell
them that a large percentage of the in,
nocent little ones come into this world
permeated with disease caused by the I'M
sanitary surroundings of the mothers. And
more; the doctors know that a very large
percentage of these little ones are born
already overworked oh not in Brat
tleboro," you say. perhaps in Packing.
town as Sinclair showed in The jungle.
But, yes, right in Brattleboro. Mothers
work in the overall factory too near both
sides of their confinement. And working
mems wives-How many are able to keep
servant for the necessary length OF
time or anywhere near it? Are not they
overworked, and in consequence their
babes? Are not these babes easy prey
for the fangs of disease? Stern necessity,
the struggle for existence, insufficient cloth
ing. insufficient or trust adulterated food,
unsantary shops, stores, public places
and tenements and unsantary streets are
the disease breeders But there is chart
ty" No, we thank you, workers do not
ask charity. They ask justice and are
beginning 10 uellldHu II. bou Sptcu INC
day when all workers unitedly demand it.
Dr. Miller limited that the mad struggle
for the almighty dollar, the insane com.
petitive war for profit by exploitation of
the workers was responsible for the I'M
sanitary conditions here and elsewhere,
and he is right, but the time is coming,
and coming sooner than all except the few
deep students of economics and sociology
expect, when the man who buys the time
of the wage slave will be held i'll deeper
detestation than were ever the men who
bought the bodies of the negro chattel
slaves.
We advise every reader of this to read
The Industrial Republic by Upton Sin
clair, the author of The Jungle, and we
hope you will join him and us in saying,
"Niay God speed the coming" Until that
time the working class must do without
efficient sanitation, because, until that
time, they must divide up their earnings
with Rockefeller, Hartman, Weyerhauser
& Company.
If this little article sets anyone's think
machine going it will have served its
purpose and anyone who wishes to know
more of the united working-class movement
will be heartily welcome any evening or
Sunday in our reading room.
Yours truly,
Local Brattleboro S. P. A.
By the committee,
G. G. Gorham, IS So. Main st.
Fred E. Rano, 90 Laurel 81.
j. l.. Lawton, Forest st.