Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-06-09

/ New York, June 9.-That at least 80
per cent Of the population of various
cities Of this country equipped with
good water supply systems mainly use
Well water that is subject to contami-
ma ton. vas stated i'll a report Of a
special investigation of the sanitary
condition of thirty-two American Cit
les. submitted TO the association of
life insurance presidents today by
Hiram j. Messenger, actuary, of Hart
! ford, Conn. In cities With sewer SyS-
tens the population living in houses
unconnected with sewers was given al
about 40 per cent.
The cities investigated are with one
or two exceptions in the south and
middle west and are as follows:
LHnchbUrg. Roanoke. Knoxville, Chat
tanooga, Nashville, Louisville, Cinc!n-
natl, Indianapolis, Bloomington,
| Sprin gfeld. St. Louis. Memphis, Little
Rock. Eicksburg, New Orleans Mobile,
Montgomery, Birmingham, Atlanta,
Macon. Jacksonville. st. Augustine,
Savannah, Charleston, Augusta, Co.
lumbia. Charlotte. Danv!le. Richmond,
Baltimore. New York and Hartford.
Improvement Everywhere.
The evidence found practically ev
erywhere showed that there has been
most wonderful Improvement in the
general sanitary conditions during the
last ten or twenty years" states the
report. Cities in the south in proper
ton to their means as rule are
spending as much money in improve
ments affecting the general health Of
the city as in the north. AS far as OBJ
servations indicated II is impossible to
select one particular section Of the
country and show that from sanitary
standpoint It is as whole materially
superior to another section in what Is
being done by the various municipali-
ties and state authorities in the line Of
sanitary work OF course. there are
sections Of the country where natural
conditions bearing upon health are
very favorable and other sections
where such conditions are very unfav-
orable: but as far as efforts Of city
authorities to put the cities In the best
possible sanitary condition are con-
cerred. one can find some Of the best
and some of the wors; instances in
the south. in the north, in the east.
and in the west.
IISy wafer Seh0faIly Coca.
ut was found that as a rule most OF
the cities visited had fairly good
supply OF water The important ques-
ton in regard to the city water sup
ply is not so much the character Of the
water furnished by the city water sys-
tenn but the extent to which the in
hab!tants use the city water and the
extent to which they make use Of
some other source Of supply. The ex-
tent to which city water is used varies
probably from 20 per cent to close to
100 per cent, and altho 1t is impos-
sibie to obtain exact figures, upon the
whole probably 20 per cent is a high
estimate Of the average percentage Of
inhabitants using city water in cities
OF $4,000 inhabitants and over. The
remaining 80 per cent or more obtain
ed their water supply elsewhere and
mainly from wells supplying surface
water: nearly all of which wells were
subject to contamination and many Of
which actually were contaminated.
Coming to the question Of sewage.
the percentage Of population living in
houses connected with the sewer var
led from 20 per cent to 95 per cent
with an average Of probably less than
60 per cent-sltho here also It was
two cities Gone OF them one Of the
largest cities in the country the board
of health had no authority to compel
residents to connect houses with the
sewer on streets that were properly
severed and properly furnished with
city water: but s a rule the cities had
this authority but the extent to which
this authority was used varied greatly.
In general it can be said 1t is possible
to find many cities in the country that
have spent millions Of dollars for sew
ers and for extending the city water
system and vet from quarter to more
than half Of the inhabitants live in
houses that are not connected with the
sewer and in great number Of such
cases the situation IS a closet with no
sewer connection and near by we'll
furnishing surface water. and constant
danger Of contamination: and 1t can
not be said that these are entirely in
the new sections of a growing city
where sewer and water mains have
not been extended. A large number Of
these cases are on streets that have
been severed and have been furnished
with water mains, and frequently in
the oldest and most thickly populated
parts of the city
Garbage Conditions Unsatisfactory.
TN regard to the disposal OF garb-
age conditions in most cities were un-
| satisfactory. The most sanitary way
OF disposing of garbage is probably to
burn it, About half a dozen OF the cit
les investigated had Incarceration plants
and as a rule these plants were work
| ing in a reasonably satisfactory man
ner-and If they were not 1t was gen.
orally because the work Of collecting
the garbage for burning was subject to
| political influences with unfavorable