Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-19
Commissioners to Act on Evi.
dence of Germ Danger.
Mr.. WEST GIVES APPROVAL
Gratified That Public Menace Has
Been Brought to His Attention.
COMMENT BY DIR. WOODWARD
Believes That Lunchrooms Are Al
ready Liable. Which Serve in
Damaged Mugs and Plates.

Damaged Mugs and Plates.
! Drastic action by the District Commits
| sioners, through the health department.
looking to a still further publication of
the service in dairy lunchrooms and public
restaurants was forecasted last night as a
result of the expose in The Evening Star
of the dangers incident to the use of
partly broken and cracked crockery.
| In fact. it is practically assured that the
purity crusade will be yet further en-
4 larged by the requirement that imperfect
utensils of every description shall no
longer be placed before patrons of such
establishments nor utilized in the prepara-
ton of food.
Mr.. West to Act.
Whether this would require the enact
| ment of new regulation by the District
Commissioners has not yet been deter
mined Commissioner Henry L. West, the
! only one of the board of Commissioners
who could be reached last night, declared
| that he would bring the matter to the at
| tention of his associates early this week,
with the recommendation that Health Ofi-
Ger WOODWARD DC instructed 10 take WQdt.
ever preliminary steps might be necessary
| to further safeguard the public in its
patronage of lunch and dining rooms.
And so 1t is among the probabilities
that the restaurant proprietors, who
have been exerting themselves to an
days in striving to remove every evil
dence of carelessness in the handling,
preparation and service Of food in ad-
vance of the visits of the government
even possible arrest and trial for their
disregard of the laws Of sanitation, may
| be driven to a general destruction of all
damaged crockery which might offer hid
ing places for disease germs.
of the work of The Evening Star in
thus pointing out one Of the real and to
q great extent unsupported dangers to
health concealed within the portals of
the public restaurant. He declared the
crockery has likely been the bearer of
disease germs to it's innocent users was
startling to a degree. He also expressed
the belief that the ultimate effect Of
not fail to be beneficial to the city.
Commissioner Vests Views.
Mr.. West said:
Il heartily commend the enterprise Of
The Evening Star in its efforts to secure
absolute cleanliness, and especially free
dom from disease germs. in connection
with the food in public restaurants and
dairy lunchrooms. The crusade has been
begun none too early. If on account Of
the disclosures which have been made
the city secures places in which only
pure and wholesome food is served in
clean dishes and utensils great work
will have been accomplished:
AAvxro ~d al emil a
last night in an appreciatfve vein of the
original work done by The Star In bring
ing to light hitherto unsupported source
of danger to the thousands of daily
patrons Of the city lunchrooms. At the
same time he declared the expose of the
disease-breeding possibilities OF the ordi-
nary cracked mug or plate offered new
and strong argument in favor of the
establishment by the local health Office of
a meteorological laboratory.
1T would have been simply impossible
for us to have undertaken such a COM
prehensive task as the archaeological ex-
animation Of the contents of the cracks
in chinaware," said he. ITO be sure
public health and marine hospital service
have both been kind in aiding us on oc-
casion. But their work is distinctly ma
tional in character.
.:The District of Columbia should be
provided with facilities for doing it's own
work on short notice in this as we'll as
in all other necessary directions"
Exposure Is Public Benefit.
Speaking directly of the startling dis
closures of the examination conducted by
the Department of Agriculture of the
defective cups. DR.. Woodward said:
"The results of DR.. Stiles examination
Of the cracked and otherwise defective
chinaware used in lunchrooms shows
u<o ipf thn iv,,yo rt
ance Of attention to details
while every one realized the impor-
lance OF cleanliness In general way, it
has probably occurred to but few before
to think of danger lying in a cracked or a
Clipped place on an ordinary lunchroOm
mug DIR. Stiles findings will probably
be sufficient to justify proceedings against
the proprietors of establishments using
such ware on the charge that it was un-
clean, since he has shown that 1t must
almost necessarily be unclean.
But before taking action it will be
necessary to give the matter careful
consideration, and it may be found neces-
sary to recommend the pronunciation of a
regulation specifically covering the mat
ter"
Altogether the work of the health de-
partment yesterday in continuing its
crusade for cleanliness In the handling
and sale of foodstuffs partook much OF
inspectors under Health Officer Woodward.
in which examinations were made OF
stores, markets. lunchrooms, soda foun-
tains and bakeries.
INSPECTOR Mothershead visited more
than a score of stands in the public mar
kets; Inspector Stoy spent his day in
pointing out the errors of their ways to
a number of local bakers; Inspector Cal
lagher. accompanied by a reporter for
The Star. watched the methods employed
in the preparation of soda water. as we'll
as the facilities for cleanliness behind
the counters; Inspector Duenner circulated
among the smaller grocery stores In vari-
GUS sections Of the city. and Inspector
Norris made second inspections of a num-
Der of lunchrooms. where warnings con-
corning unclean and unlawful conditions
had been given, to see if the proprietors
were properly active in meeting the re-
quirements.
FROM WATERY GRAVE