New-York tribune., 1908-02-17
REPORT BY DIR. PORTER
Less Water PoIlution--WM Be En-
tirely Stopped Soon, 1t Is Said.
TBy Telegraph to The Tribune. !


shows greater activity in the protection OF water
supplies purity of streams than ever before
in the history of the department.
For tho first time the department has adopted the
system in use many years in Massachusetts Oh
examining thoroughly and completely lhe water
supplies of those municipalities unable to conouct
their own Investigations and follow them up IN
proper fashion. continuation OF the present
policy of the department the Commissioner pre-
diets will result in short time in the complete
stoppage of pollution of streams which now LEADS
to about 5000 of typhoid fever each year.
The spirit in which the State Health department
has approached its work in the last year ana the
standard it sets for the future are expressed by
Dr. Porter in this fashion:
We have learned that If we allow our . neleReol e
TO die of plague are very likely 10 take pas &
fegements Of death we are exposed to the
great white plague and that if we allow our neigh
some son 70 of the We improve society
when improve its individual members % nrev1t 1 s
ease by causing the individual to DO an & ine .hs m IS
unable to do The real protection Of the pubic M
health only be attained by means & 3eyoin IRON
eriv on the budget the state and should not ne
added to that Of the family the he fEs freedom We
have neglect its lessons
Public sentiment says the report has become IN
, tensely aroused to the menace to health III inc
wholesale pollution of streams existing up 10 Two
years ago In the last two years rhuch Pioeie3'
has been made toward removal OF TINS menace
The department is cooperating with puoHc eiio =.
to abate the nuisance, and wherever possioie ui-
recting and crystallizing the puohc seh'iiheii'
against it Dr. Porter estimates that there are
% 600 cases of typhoid each year in TINS state,
traceabe mainly this cause with 700 deaths re-
sulting in a total loss OF sl,0C0Vo annually Al'er
drawing a moving picture OF the nuisances OF poi-
luted streams, even Where no actudi uaioOi ="
present. he says:
"The policy of the department is that further
DoIlution of the streams and lakes must cease. 1t
does not expect to bring this condition ABOUT III
day or a year, but it does expect that WITHIN
comparatively short time u Will De eh'ioiS
stopped
In the last year the department has mace COM
prehensive studies of the drainage areas Oh tie
Susouehanna the Oswego, Delaware, Niagara, MO-
hawk and Hudson rivers ''of the greatest Hh-
portance in dealing with the question or water
pollution" These have afforded the basis for both
present end future action. OF them the report
says:
1T need hardly be said that such investigations
are costly both in time and money. but no more
needed work has ever been done for the state.
Special Investigations Of local conditions nave
been made in many places. Rules for the protec-
ton of seventeen public water supplies OF inpor-
fance have been prepared and special advice as TO
new supplies furnished TO twelve municipalities.
Under the provision Of law requiring the State
Health Department to pass on all plans for sewer
systems In cities and villages It has required some
provision for sewage disposal to be made. course
which in time Will Keep out or the streams great
amount of the pollution which exists.
Under special orders from Governor Hughes the
department investigated the pollution of Kayader-
osseras Creek at BalIston Spa, by waste from the
mills Of the Union Bag and Paper Company, the
pollution of Hutchinson Canal by the sewage of
Mount Vernon, where q sewage disposal plant
is about to be constructed and the pollution of
Catskill Creek. The sewage disposal plants Of the
state have been inspected and q complete report
Will be submitted soon showing their working eff
cheney.
Because of the extremely high death rate from
typhoid in several cities. special examinations of
the typographical geological, industrial and socio
logical conditions the water supply, sewerage IA
ciIities, ice and milk supplies and garbage colec-
ton have been made. Cohoes. Niagara Falls Ell
mira, Poughkeepsie, Ogdensburg and Newburs thus
have been investigated, and the completed reports
sent the local authorities with recommendations
Many summer resorts also have been inyestf-
gated, and where improvements We're necessary the
attention of the propretors has been called to the
fact. Hotels where typhoid fever is likely to oc-
will be inspected again to see if the recon-
mendations for improvements were carried out. If
not punitive measure the names of these re-
sorts and their proprietors Will be made public
In connection with all this a great amount OF
work has been done by the engineering corps and
the ARCHAEOLOGICAL department. Because this Is
costly, DR.. Porter recommends an increase of at
least $50 900 the work of the engineering and
laboratory divisions. Otherwise. he says this I'M
menseiy important work be skimped or Grip
pied.
The report declares that from one-seventE to one
tenth OF all the deaths and enormous proper
ton of invaHdism due tuberculoss-in this
state probably fifty thousand fifteen thou
sand deaths annually. despite the fact that it is
preventable disease. The economic loss IS enor-
mous-ST0 0O00CO year. To offset this a campaign
Of years will he necessary. The commissioner has
obtained the advice of eminent in this field
and special advisory board has been formed, with
ten members. This board has decided that the
Health Department should have at least three
complete tuberculosis exhibits, the state should
take part in the International tuberculosis Con-
gress at Washington next September in fitting
manner, and most important that the state should
grant authority TO the department for registration
and necessary investigation of all of tuber-
cilosis For this campaign there should he granted
appropriation $4,000 begin with.
Several important recommendations for changes
in the health laws are made. At present the de-
partment has and is exercising the power to pre-
pollution of streams by refusing to grant per-
mts for the discharge Of sewage. But says
the Commissioner: while the provisions of the
law comforting this authority the department
wise far they 60 believe the depart
ment should have the authority to order the sew
age of a municipality, or manufacturing wastes
to be removed from a stream. and think II de-
sirable that such order should receive the ap-
proval of the Governor In this way progress that
could be made in relieving the pollution would be
much more rapid
The second recommendation is that authority TO
enforce the vaccination la-vs be taken from the
school trustees and placed entirely in the hands of
the local health boards. The registration of all
cases of tuberculosis; the complete registra-
tcn of vital statistics: the passage Of an act ena
bling county authorities to maintain laboratories
working in cooperation with the State Laboratory
and the State Health Department. and the enact
ment OF pure food law and authorization OF one
department to enforce II are other important
Eecomm Hdations.