The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1910-05-19
All Cities Along the Lake Asked to
Petition the Senate Against the
Amendment of the Mann Bill Now
Pending il Congress.

Nal form, DuG bne amendment, tdcheu
on in the Senate before the measure
was passed through practically robs
the bill of its value as it makes Chi
eago stand the expense of making it
operative. Following the action of
the executive committee the following
telegram was sent out by the associa-
tion to the Illinois senators and others:
"The Chicago Association of Com
merce by the unanimous action of its
executive committee unquestionably in
dorses House Bill 1900 but vigorously
protest against the senate amendment
as imposing conditions which cannot
be met and which if enacted into law
will, by continuing present unsanitary
conditions menace the public health
of the city in an oyer-increasing de-
gree.'
The following letter was sent to the
president and to all the United States
senator's:
Ny Dear Sir:-The Chicago Asso-
citation Of Commerce, by unanimous
action of it's executive committee in
dorses unqualifedly House Bill 1900
introduced by Congressman Mann and
passed without opposition in the
House. This bill would prevent the
dumping of 'dredgings and other ma
terial and refuse near the intakes of
our water supply.
An amendment was added in the
senate, and the bill as amended pass
ed by that body. The Chicago Asso-
citation of Commerce vigorously pro-
tests against such amendment as i'm
posing conditions which are impossible
for the city to meet, and if enacted
into law, will by continuing present
unsanitary conditions, continue to be
a menace to the health of the people
of this city and nearby cities and
towns along the shore of Lake Miehi-
gan in an increasing degree.
The association also protests against
any governmental policy that will,
merely on account of expense, be a
menace to the health of the people.
We most earnestly request your as
sistance in having the bill as passed
by the House become law, and there
by enable the people of this city and
vicinity to protect their water supply
for domestic purposes from pollution.
The amendment provides that "the
act shall not become effective until
the city of Chicago has made provi-
sion satisfactory to the secretary of
war for paying the cost of proper in
spection and has provided suitable
dumping grounds behind bulkheads ac-
cessible to dumping scows in which to
deposit material dredged in the exca-
walton of government work, and has
made provision for the extra expense
of long hauls to which the government
will be subject. -
The protest is especially aimed at the
move to burden the city with the cost
of the additional hauls that may be
made necessary by the new law.
The Mann bill is the outgrowth of
movement started over a year ago
and in which the Chicago Association
of Commerce, through it's civic indus
trial committee, both during the time
e. S. Conway was chairman and under
it's present chairman, William A. Bond
has had conspicuous part. In May of
last year, w. R. Humphrey, the asso-
ciation's industrial commissioner, with
Health Commissioner Evans went to
Washington to confer with the war de-
partment relative to the dumping of
dredgings SO as not to affect the water
supply of Chicago. The war depart
ment took the position that it was only
necessary under the law to take into
consideration the question of naviga-
ton and economy in cost of having
the work done. It was then deter
mined that the only way to protect
the health of the people of Chicago
would be to have measure passed
regulating the whole matter. Follow
ing this Congressman Mann, who from
the first has taken an active interest
in the problem, introduced House Bill
1900.
The people of Chicago have already
expended fifty millions of dollars to
improve the water supply. By so do
ing it has reduced the death rate in
this city to the lowest point of any
large city in the world.
The present federal laws, which APP
parently take into account only the
matter of expense and ignore entirely
the greater question of public health,
are now undoing much of the good work
accomplished, through the actual dump