Putnam patriot., 1908-11-20
More and Better Preventive Measures
 Needed.


 Needed.
 As "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cufe7 It is not good business management to be without the former. But somehow il seems easy To loose sight of this trnism, and only awake to T realization Of Il when some calamity eomes upon the trusting community to gi2e warning of the neglect.
 Some months ago Health officer Df. f,aRne called the attention of the Com mon Council to the need ef having all milk dealers registered. In his recent fcpon he called attention L. the fact that no action Of any kind had been taken regarding the matter,
 Our milk deaiefs, ns | class, are pro hablX clean sei of men, aud may not need looking after; nevertheless they may mol be aware what precautions they should invariably take t0 prevent endangefing the community they serve from Injury. IL k not very nncon- mon sight to see two milkmen stop In Ihe business section Of the eity--one to carry him through in serving his CHS toners, and pour the milk from can to can The milk k thereby exposed to whatever eontaminating particles may be floating with the air in the business section of the city. This is one small l incident.
 The threatened danger of an epidem- ic of diphtheria, brings up the ques- ton Of our inadequate sewerage sys- tenn. But this question tx treated in another article, found elsewhere in this Issue.
 | The matter Of procuring anti-toxin for eases of dangerous diseases in poor I families, should be provided for. When 1 Il k needed. it k needed at once. If the physician pfeeures II, as things now are, he does II n cost to himself of ! about sh~~and takes the chances of he Ing reimbursed, the town officers mol feeliug justified to meet such biils The Health Ofiieef has also called attention io the public waller sup ply. II itas teen used practically un. filtered all summer. whiie most people have ased | believing il to he filtered. The N aier Company should be requir- ed Ia give official notice when, by any cause, the water passes to lhe city un. i fIlefed. The consumers will Then have | an opportunity to protect themselves i hy home Altering ar boiling the water used for drinking, CT else purchasing Il necessary supply from parties who fuf- nish soring water to customers i'll the city steadily. The notice could be giv. en without trouble or expense. The Water Company were notified hy Us a year ago, that II was necessary and im- portant thnt official notice should be given the public when the water pass es to the consumers unliitefed, from any cause, that they may guard them. selves iiom the danger of using the WA ter nnliltered, as the Company have admitted Il to be
 When the Inst injury te the altering system occurred, no official notice was given ef the fact, aud the water was used untittered by most consumers in ignorance, who would have purified it, and most of the poorer people never learned thai they had been drinking unlitered water.
 We would rather speak commenting. ly of the Water Company than find fault, but the importance of protecting the public especially from preventable danger, Is our imperative duty as a newspaper editor, and therefore ask the city authorities to take steps 10 compel the Water Company to giNe immediate official notice when, from any cause, they are compelled to sup ply consumers the public water until- tered. There Is disease and death turk ing in such water, as the Company are aware, And if, from the fact that il has purpesely been withheld, sickness and death should result from drinking the untiItered water in ignorance, who ever is responsible for it, if not legally liable they arc morally so-and that Is a more serious matter.
 The lurking dangers that beset the health of the city may not be open- ly manifested and yet he doing deadly ..s.evl thAnoh thn san~.a s,aaS hsA nnr.a. eugniked. Those who feel secure, disrt- l garding all warnings given hy those who speak with authority, may yet be awakened by suffering experience to be willing to eive their last dollar for the opportunity nov given them, to apply The ounce of cnre.