The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-03-03
T. H. & |. Official Appeals to
State Board of Health
Secretary.
CAMPAIGN OF EDUCATION
PEOPLE WHO RIDE IN iNTERUR-
BAN CARS, IT Is POINTED OUT,
ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MOST
OF THE DIRT.


or, of Terre Haute, manager Of the
Terre Haute, Indianapolis & Eastern
traction lines. has written to the state
board of health asking the board to
cooperate with his company in keep
ing his interurban cars clean, and
offering anything in his power to help
the board along in this phase of it's
sanitary undertakings.
Il think the board understands"
wrote Mr.. Grover. that a large per-
centage of the cause of dirty cars is to
be traced to the people themselves,
and that the problem of keeping cars
clean is largely d problem of educat-
ing the people in sanitation. Our COM
pany makes every effort it can to keep
cur cars in a sanitary and clearly con-
dition, but we are unable to accom-
plish as much rs we desire because
of the heedlessness of the patrons. II
the board can assist us in bringing
our patrons to see the necessity of
clearly cars We will gladly accept any
recommendations they may make"
DR.. J. N. Hurry, secretary of the
board, by whom the letter was receiv-
ed, said that Mr.. Grover was entirely
right in the statement that the pa
irons, rather than the interurban COM
panies, are the ones who must be
reached in the car cleanliness cru
sade.
I'm figures, l should estimate that
the ratio of blame between the pa
irons and the companies is about three
to one" said DR.. Hurry. That is,
the people are to blame for IS per
cent of the unsanitary condition Of the
cars. and the companies for the other
25 percent.
An EmpIoye Overwhelmed.
The other day boarded a Fl
'. .yne & Wabash Valley traction Car
at the station here to go to Ander-
son. The car was ten minutes late in
arriving and about five minutes late
In going out When it pulled in there
were fifty people, l should judge, wait
ing to board. No sooner had the last
incoming passenger alighted than the
outgoing ones began to pour in, and
! was among the first. Half the dis
lance Of the car floor l encountered
AN employe of the station hastily try
ing to make the car presentable, but
he was soon overwhelmed with the
passengers and compelled to give up
the task.
Il knew that when that car left F't
Wayne 1t was clean. but when it ar
rived here the floor was covered with
banana peels, orange skins, apple par
ings and apple cores, remains of lun
ches, torn newspapers, mud and ex
pectorations There was absolutely nc
opportunity for the company to clean
it here and have the car maintain its
schedule time. although it made an
attempt to do so.
"A condition like that can only be
remedied by having the people come
TO a realization that it is up to them
to- keep the cars clean if they wish
TO ride in clean cars. With Mr. Grow
err and other traction men of the state
the board is preparing to take up a
number of suggestions as to how the
patrons may be made to see their duty
in this respect. One plan receiving
favorable consideration is the placar6
system, which has often proved it,
efficiency. 1t is probable that patron:
of interurban cars will soon become
as familiar with signs cautioning then
not to litter the car floor as they have
become with. the no-spitting cards
which have served to reduce spittin,
to a degree scarcely appreciated b.
the average man"