Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-15

Jersey; Gov. Newton G. Blanch-
; Gov. John c. Cutler, Utah.
terry and diarrheal diseases. can be car
ried from one town or city to another by
means Of inland waterways. Indeed, the
question is one of extreme interest even
to the residents along the great lakes.
We know that large cities like Buffalo,
Erie. Cleveland, Detroit and Milwaukee
discharge their sewage into the lakes.
and we also know how Chicago and
Cleveland suffered from typhoid fever WIS.,
itations by communicating their own wa
ter supplies.
Utilizing City Refuse.
Upon another phase of the economics of
publication of the water supply, DR..
Kober referred to Victor Hugo's claim in
Les Miserables.' that Paris casts o.
100000 of francs annually into the sea-"
and to the computations of several German
scientists that the refuse of a city of
100. 600 inhabitants would have a money
value of 5000, 900 marks, or about 100000,
per annum. IL spread upon the land.
The speaker declared that. irrespective
of the economics Of the question. the best
fication is in sewage farming or irrigation.
and he quoted as an example the city of
Berlin, which. he said. purchased about
20. 600 acres of land and. notwithstanding
the enormous outlay of little over
So, 900 900 for the land and over $1O.OO0.OOO
for the sewer system, operates these
farms at net profit of about $4,000 per
annum.
Dr.. Kober said that increasing necessity
was manifesting itself for the publication
of the sewage Of even the cities lying upon
tide water. because it has been proved
that typhoid epidemics have found their
origin in oysters which had been fattened
In places where they were liable to con-
tamination.
Best Means Of Sewage Disposal.
The speaker specified the best means of
sewage disposal for communities variously
situated as follows:
ION the whole we may conclude that
sewage farming for economic reasons
should be recommended for all localities
where the grade will admit OF the sewage
being carried to lower lands In sections
Of our country not adapted to farming and
where land is scarce and expensive, purifi-
cation of sewage by intermittent filtration
should be adopted; in communities where
land is so scarce that even intermittent
filtration Is impracticable chemical pre-
cipitation or sedimentation the bacterial
or septic tank with Dilden's bacteria
filters) should be considered.
I'm conclusion permit me to say that
while we have reason to be proud of ami
fold achievements, we have not kept pace
with other countries in matters relating
to public health. 1 am profoundly CRATE
full for the opportunity Of discussing
subject of vital Importance to the strength
of this nation. The spirits of the glorious
departed whisper from heaven. Our coun-
try: If right to be kept right, if wrong to
be set right Let US listen. let us heed.
Progress has crowned our past. Let our
conduct raise no blush on the cheek of
posterity. Let us hand in hand with
heart and tongue join in promoting the
welfare of the American nation, by the
conservation of health and life and all
of our natural and wonderful resources"
More Utilization Of Canals.
The Importance of utilizing all Of the
navigable rivers and lakes Of the coun-
try was strongly urged by Prof. Emory
r. Johnson. professor of transportation
and commerce of the University of Penn
sylvania. and formerly isthmian canal
commissioner. who spoke on the general
subject OF Navigation"
1.-The waterways in our country-rivers,
canals, lakes and coastal channels-have
an aggregate length of between 5000
and 10000 miles. and only about half of
the entire mileage is now used for navi-
CATION" he said
considering the great length and un-
doubted value Of our inland waterways,
comparatively little has been done to
make them commercially useful
1.-The total appropriations made by Con-
gress from the beginning to 1907 for the
rivers of the Mississippi valley amount to
sos, 484 72O. This seems to be a relative
ly large sum. but when we consider that
the United States has spent during the
past hundred years in regulating. i'm
proving and extending our system Of nat
uraI waterways only Az per cent Of the
amount private capitalists have invested
in the construction of railways. our con-
gressional appropriations for the better
ment of inland navigation seem to have
been conservatfvely small"
Other Countries in the Lead.
Prof. Johnson referred to the fact that
less has been done by the United States
than by it's leading industrial and COM
mercial rivals in the development and use
of inland waterways.
I'm many other countries it has been
found more economical to do the heavier
transportation work by making large
use Of the waterways" the speaker con-
tinued, land to develop the railway trafic
more particularly with reference to the
speedy movement ana Schedule delivery
of parcels. packages and general COM
modify freight. Such an organization of
the business of transportation as has
been worked out in England. France and
Germany does not result in as low aver
age freight rates by rail as prevail in
the United States: but the costs of whole
sale and retail distribution and of MANY
manufacturing activities are undoubted-
ly less than they would be were the peo-
pie of Europe served almost entirely nv
railroads and not by both railroads and
waterways. When conditions in the
United States approach more closely
those prevailing in Europe, we shall And
it increasingly desirable to provide our
selves both with we'll developed water
ways and with railroads more efficient
than present conditions permit them to he
in the handling of package freight We
as we'll as Europe will find 1t profitable
to minimize capital and warehousfnr
costs.
Waterways Are Public Ways.
1.-THE experience of our own country
and of other nations shows conclusiyelv
that waterways should be public ways
that their execution and maintenance
should be by the government. The entire
network of American waterways should
be improved and extended systematically
by one authority, and with reference Is
the economic and social needs of the en-