Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-01-12
BRAND SWEEPERS
Or SIDEWALKS AS
MENACE TO HEAL Til
City Officials Heartily Indorse
STARS Crusade Against Scat.
terers of Germ=laden Dust.
BROOM -WIELDERS SHOW
PEDESTRIANS NO RESPECT
Experts See Grave Danger from
tuberculosis in Practise En-
pl0yed by Business Houses.


That impaired health and even death
may be the result of the custom of
sweeping the sidewalks In front of buss-
ness houses at those morning hours
when pedestrians are hurrying to work
in greatest numbers was freely admit
ted by health authorities in this city
today. Concerning the proper method
which is now available for abating the
nuisance those who are in position t.,
put 1t into effective use are undecided
put all agree some means should bu
found at once to stop the practise.
Numerous complaints have been re-
ceived at this office from persons who
must daily run the gauntlet of the fire
OF the broom brigade, which gets to
work about theetinie those who must
report early TO work are passing
through the streets and continues well
into the morning. 1t appears to be
the consensus Of opinion in these COM
plants that those employees of the
business houses who are delegated to
this duty have SO steeled themselves
that they are deaf, dumb and blind
when at work, unable to see anyone
VINO may be passing in front of THE
dust-elouds raised by their broonas, or
to hear any of the complaints Of VIC
tins upon whom mouth, eye or ear full
OF dust has been forced. Some, indeed.
have sought to extract entertainments
from a situation which must otherwise
be almost unbearable, by endeavoring
to see If they can ON their way to the
Office successfully dodge the force Of
all the sweepers.
Ernest ID. Easton, secretary OF the
Committee of One Hundred of the
Anti-Tuberculosis Society, had this to
say today of the danger from germs
which turk in tho dust of the side.
wallSs:a
There is no question about the fact
that the public or that portion or it
which Is exposed, is lnenaced by the
practise of the employees OF business
houses of sweeping the sidewalks at
hours when many are passing There
are many dangerous germs In the dirt
OF the sidewalk and among them are
the tuberculosis germs. These germs
are not killed by the cold and when the
coatings of the sidewalk crumbles with
dust this dust is germ-laden. This
dust Is enough to cause an inflamed
condition in the throat or nose of a
pedestrian and this infiamed surface
furnishes the most fertile field imag-
Unable for the tuberculosis germs The
desirability OF a crusade which might
result in tho regulation of this evil IL
obvious -
Health officer David d. Chandler
agreed with Mr.. Easton about the dam
ger resulting from the practise.
1T is unquestionably a menace to
health" he said. '"rhe sidewalks
should be swept very early In the
morning before many people ars
astir. l myself have noticed that those
who are engaged in sweeping the walks
never think of stopping because some
one happens to be passing in front OF
them. Since the practise of expectorat-
ing on the sidewalks has not been
eliminated there is no doubt but that
there are live tuberculosis germs in
the dust. They are not killed by the
cold. but lie dormant to be revived
under the first favorable condition.
When Mr.. Chandler's attention was
called to the fact that a city ordinance
had been passed some time ago under
the provisions of which storekeepers
We're enjoined from carrying the sweep.
ings of the store onto the sidewalk and
thence into the gutter, he said he had
forgotten there was such an ordinance
1T should be amended at once to
regulate this nuisance of sweeping the
sidewalks in the morning." said Mr..
Chandler.
Charles NJ. Shipman, general super
intendent OF works, said that he was
fully alive to the dangerous features
of the practise of sweeping the side
walks.
"'rhey should be swept late at night
or very early i'll the morning." said
superintendent Shipman. 'I have
looked everywhere for an ordinance by
which I might curb the nuisance and
have been unable to find one. The
ordinance to prevent storekeepers from
sweeping out tho store onto the side
walk was passed several years ago as
the result Of ans agitation against the
practise"
The majority of those from whom
complaints have been received have
been of the opinion that sweepers
should be restricted to a certain period
in the very early morning. Considering
the number of persons WI, find 1t
necessary to so to work very early in
tts morning it has been suggested that
a. IN. is none too early for store en-
ployees to clean off the sidewalks tn
front OF their places of business.
Objection has been raised also to
those of the street cleaners who do
their work in the daytime. A squad
of three men, who are detailed to the
centre of the city, are ut work all day
in keeping the streets clean. Pedes-
trians have found the dust they raise
en- busy corners most annoying,
CHICAGO ElREMEN OVERCOME