Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1908-11-05
lie DISPOSAL OF SEWAGE
Sanitary Engineering Division Of the
Department of heaith Is Teaching
municipalities Efficient and
Economical Methods OF
Drainage.
Drainage.

Economical Methods of
Drainage.
A lamentable and tremendous
snount of needless suffering, sickness,
expense and death annually result
i.0in the wanton pollution of the
streams of Pennsylvania ;uHong those
individuals dependent upon these
euurces of supply for drinking water,
Hundreds Of communities hang in the
balance anu at any time may have an
epidemic OF typhoid fever stalking
through their midst and decimating
their numbers. Hundreds Of the young
ana best lives OF the commonwealth
nra annually sacrificed to the unsani-
taTy customs Of sewage disposal Poi
son material of human origin from
pGt.ic aud private institutions, sewers
and prlvies are emptied into streams
o. points but short distances above wa
ter works intakes. and in a few hours
thereafter are delivered through the
water pipes of public systems TO many
iEho@ent and unsuspecting individuals,
wu0 rest secure in the belief that the
public authorities, having in charge
vhe furnishing Of drinking water, and
Who are responsible for the purity OF
the water thus supplied, are faithfully
psTi0rm!ng their obligations.
Public and private corporations,
however, even when earnestly inclined,
are often limited in their powers to
prevent sewage contamination OF the
sour IS of water supply.
After years OF afIliction, and at o
terrific cost in human life, /. has finally
aSwEad upon the people that q higher
nhhcrity than the municipality must
Grapple with the problem and afford q
remedy. Il is, therefore, OF interest
20 every citizen OF the commonwealth
0 know about the work that Health
Commissioner Dixon is doing to pre-
Gerv- the purity of the waters of tho
state in fulfillment of the duty laid
upon nina by the act Of April %,
1906.
The enormity of the task is com.
pretended when one realizes the fact
that almost without an exception
cyeJy city borough and municipality
IL Pennsylvania having sewer Sys
tenn discharges It's filth into the most
con nient nearby stream, regardless
nf consequences TO the user of that
strea.a ut some point below.
Farther, where there are no sew
srs, privies are almost universally 10
cateJ on or near the banks Of natural
water courses which thus serve as
open sewers. BY no known mathe
matjos is il possible to compute the
extent Of evil, the misery. expense.
poverty, lifelong suffering and death
which this custom entails; but it is a
taat ;nai a large amount OF it all would
be jrivsp from the state if sanitary
methods of sewage disposal were
pdopled
i "a tha privilege. as well as the
duty Of the State Health Commissions
o. 10 biing about just this result. No
short sighted vacillating and radical
poi"y could be successful in such q
sra.r Undertaking. 1t will necessarily
be TIE work OF years to undo the Gus
;un5& ot generations and establish uni
yeIa.i healthiul conditions. Its sue
cess III Il measure depends upon the
emil, htenment and cooperation of the
people The stupidity and sSepticisu
OF preoccupied and selfish popnlace
Is barrier TO quick results. Where
the public conscience is Quickened
voluntary reforms will be inaugurated
uu3 benefits will be at once secured
in other eases the law vii! have to ba
invoked and enforced.
The Chief Engineer of the Depart
m"ni. T. Herbert snow. and his assis
tsnts are now traysrsing every part o,
the State making examinations OF
sew rage systems apd water supplies
and collecting data with respect to tho
quality OF a.! oi iln waters in Penn.
sYlFlnia. More than ibis is being done
sources Of nollHtiO1 and menaco4 which
Ntn be abatpd At once ara reported tc
The commi !oaar aHd in many cuseg
request On his pant 10 Tie owner
af the promises rs suGicicrt 10 caust
q removal cs the nufaaa.a ~l ,rim
par ol letters o. encourag urnt fnt
cooperation In this KIND s.. reform
received by the ccnJHissiCarI apicuGi6
ly lIust atcs the wii,inanry,,o al tho .ii-
izens a lie state Ia in .s'nd j. r,rh,