Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-23
IS FOND OF LUNCHROOMS
Proprietors Must Screen or Fan
Food on Display.
OFFICERS ON JOB
V illing to Follow Up Complaints of
Citizens, and They Get
Results, Too.
SWAT THE FLY.

While the inspectors of the health de-
ton upon a general campaign against the
common house fly. which is regarded as
one of the greatest of disease-germ car
riers in the summer season, a special
phase of the campaign is being directed
to the lunchrooms of the city. There are
hundreds of such places scattered over
the length and breadth of the District,
and it is realized that there are few
agencies which permit of more compre-
hensive spreading of fy-conveyed infec-
tion,- because nearly all of the lunch
rooms display a large portion of the food
offered for sale upon open counters or
shelves
In the noon rush of business men to
these lunchrooms the prepared foods
are purchased in haste and eaten quickly
and there is little opportunity for the
fastidiously inclined to choose between
foods that have been exposed to flies and
foods that have been properly screened
from these insects.
tOOO mOSL De screened.
The regulations of the District health
department recognize the dangers which
may be encountered in lunchrooms and
they provide not only for the screening of
doors and windows OF such business
places but they require that food on
display be protected against flies. Not
a few lunchroom propriet0rs have been
hailed into the Police Court and fined for
4
still more prosecutions are likely to fol-
low in the wake of the aggressive cam
paign which is now being waged.
It IL conceded that the lunchroom pro-
-prietor may be ever SO careful in provid-
ing screens for the doors and windows of
his establishment, but even so he may
not fully protect his patrons, since the
constant swinging of the door incident to
the passing of customers during the rush
hours will afford sufficient opportunity
for flies to enter the room in Swarms.
The health department regulations con-
template that the food which is exposed
and which is offered for sale must be
protected. For this purpose it is believed
that rapidly rotating electric fans are
more effective than screens, since the
swift currents of air blow the insects
away and thus keep the foodstuffs free
from 1y-conveyed infection.
Within the ensuing week the health de-
pertinent inspectors who are assigned
to general observation of Iunchroom con-
ditions will be specifically instructed to
institute Police Court prosecutions in
cases where they find prepared foods dis
played for sale without proper protection
ny either fans or screens.
Every Citizen Can Help.
Every citizen can help in the iy cru
SADIE. If one sees the law being vio-
lated there are plenty of telephones
handy, and there's a man at the health
office who will listen to what comes over
the wire. Better still, the man at the
receiving end of the wire will set things
going and there will be something doing
right away. This is how it works:
Last Saturday citizen saw in George
town an open wagon going up the street
swarmed over with a perfect cloud of
flies. In the wagon was large quantity
Of meat billed for delivery to q num-
Der Of stores I'm that section of the city.
The canvas covering provided to protect
the meat in transit through the streets
had fallen aside and trans-Rock Creek
F1ydom was having regular picnic.
The health Office was notified, wheels
were started and in a short time a po-
liceman had Overhauled the wagon, ar
rested the driver, and before noon he had
been fined S., in the Police Court and his
employers warned. So it's up to the citi-
zen TO help
SWAT THE FLY: