The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1911-06-09
Expert Tells Life Insurance
Presidents 80 Pct. of Peo-
ple Use Well Water When
Unnecessary.
HOWEVER THERE IS
MUCH IMPROVEMENT
Sanitary Conditions All Over
the Country Given More
Consideration in the Past
Twenty Years.
(National News Association)

National News Association)
New York. June 9.-That at least
thirty per cent OF the population In
various cities OF this country equipped
with good water supply syySems main.
~ use well water that is subjec. to
contamination. was stated In report
Of Q special investigation OF the sani.
tary condition of thirty.two Arerican
cities. submitted to the association
OF Lifo Insurance Presidents today by
Hiram J. Messenger. actuary. OF Hart
ford. Conn. In cities with sewer sys-
TENS tho population living in houses
unconnected with sewers was given at
,about forty per cent.
The cities investigated are with one
or two exceptions In the south and
middle west and are as follows:
Lynchburg. Roanoke. Knoxville. Chat
tanooga. Nashville. Louisville. Cincin-
noti. indianapolis. Bloomington. Spring
field. st. Louis. Memphis. Little Rock.
lcksburg. New Orleans, Mobile, Mont.
gomery. Birmingham. Atlanta, Macon.
Jacksonville. st. Augustine, Savannah,
Charleston. Augusta, Columbia. Char
lotte, Danville. Richmond. Baltimore,
New York and Hartford.
Things Investigated.
In addition to water supply and
bewase system. the principal points
Investigated covered disposal of gar
0age; inspection Of milk. meats and
posishable provisions; board Of health
ordinances for maintaining sanitary
.Conditions; laboratory equipment and
work Of the department OF bacteriol.
Iogy: climatic conditions: location of
Lofty and natural character of sur
rounding country; character OF city
government: character Of people. with
special reference a. to whether or not
the appreciate the importance Of
maintaining proper health conditions
and whether or not there 10 power.
ful public sentiment that can be
brought to bear upon the city govern
ment in regard to such questions.
"The evidence found practically ev-
srywhere particularly through the
southern state) showed that there has
been most wonderful improvement
IN the general sanitary conditions dur
ing the last ten or. twenty years."
states the report. "Cities in the south
In proportion to their means as rule
are spending 40 much money in i'm.
provements affecting the general
health OF the city 40 In the north. Az
far 90 observations indicated Il 10 i'm
possible to select one particular Sec
- - ~ xArA
from . sanitary standpoint II 10 as a
whole materially superior to another
,section In what 10 being done by the
various municipalities and state au.
thorities In the line of sanitary work.
OF course. there are sections Of the
country where natural conditions
bearing upon health are very favora.
ble and other sections where such con-
ditions are very unfavorable; but as
far ~ efforts of city authorities to put
the cities In the best possible sanitary
condition 10 concerned. one can find
some Of the best and some of the
worst instances In the south. in the
north. In the east and in the west.
Two Bls centrasts.
II was surprising to and on the
s1outh Atlantic coast a city which in
the efIlciency Of its board of health
and In its maintenance of generally
healthy conditions my adoption OF the
very best modern methods stand
about at the top of all the places wis.,
ited--while in the same section of the
country. not far from this city. was
another place which although greatly
favored by nature. as far as what the
,city authorities had done. stood near
the bottom. and the most unfortunate
fact was that the citizens had no con.
ception Of the real situation. II was
surprising to fnd on the Mississippi
river one city In most excellent sani-
tary condition. but a few hundred
miles farther north another city
whose Inhabitants would resent any
opinion that they are not among the
most intelligent and progressive-and
yet this latter place on account of its
absolutely inexcusable conditions is
down near the foot of the list.
''lt was found that as rule most
of the cities visited had a fairly good
supply OF city water. The important
question In regard TO the city water
supply In not 30 much the character OF
the water furnished by the city water
system but the extent to which the in
habitants use the city water and the
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