Milford chronicle., 1911-06-16
AN INDIGNANT PROTEST.
June II, 1911.

Editor of the Chronicle:
> 1t is apparently the duty of some per
son to warn the people of Milford thai
their lives and health are being put il
jeopardy by the negligence and ineffici
ency of the Light and Water Commission
Unfortunately, the Legislature has adj
journed, or a move could be made tc
oust these gentlemen from Office.
, There was a fire on Sunday night, and
} on Monday morning housewives noticed
muddy and discolored water running from
the faucets. They were giving it to their
children to drink, as they did not know
its danger
It was water from the river, contami-
mated by all the filth of the sewers and
the surface drainage They had pumped
the water from the river into the mains
to extinguish the FIRE, and the residue
was left for you and me to drink.
Did they warn you to boil the water2
No, they sent it through the pipes for
5000 people to drink. Probably the mem
bers of the Light and Water Board boiled
the water they drank the next morning
but they did not notify you. You and
your babies might have been drinking
typhoid or diphtheria germs; but no
warning was given you.
This has been done every time for
years that we have had large FIRE. On
one occasion after fire, in order to pro-
tect myself, inquired of the officers of
this Board whether they had pumped |
into the mains the water from the river
they tried to evade answering, and en-
deavored to make me believe that this
had not been done. They were not only
willing to endanger the lives of the peo-
pie, but tried to conceal their acts.
They were then notified by the State
Board of Health through the local Board,
not to pump water from the river into
the mains. But they made no provision
to enable them to comply with this order.
They answer that they cannot be brought
to an accounting cannot be made to as q
sumo any responsibility, as under their
charter they can neither sue nor be sued. [
Perhaps they are not aware that they {
,an be made to suffer for criminal negli-
gence. Possibly they do not know that a
should an epidemic break out among our Il
people, due to their act of polluting the t
own water, each one of them could be t
ield criminally liable. f
And it is only by mercy that we have "
'een spared such an epidemic. If there
we're present in the sewage in the river, D
yphoid, diphtheria or other disease 7
erms, an epidemic would follow that IL
Tould sweep the town, and we should VI
ay for the indifference of these men m
nth the lives Of our children. And I
ant to say right here that if ANYBODY
iinks I am exaggeratng the danger, he
as but to Law the facts before any physi-
an or chemist to find that am putting
mildly.
The Board when forced to admit that u
ley are serving up sewage for drinking
ater, says that it can't do anything
ere is no way to prevent it. II this is
honest opinion, then the Board con r.
sses its incompetency and should resign ~ ~
abody. They could get man in twenty - !.
nr hours to point out a half dozen wavs fe
getting water to fight fires. without
lluting our water supply, and the ex- on
nse would not be b1ohi5ifi0e. either. bo
lie fact is that they do not want to do all
ything they think that as Providence Ia
$ been merciful in the past we will lu
itinue to be favored. {,
These gentlemen. having had ample ho
rning, will be in grave danger for the be
It two weeks. For should an epidemic ale
ak out and it can be traced to the pol hir
ed water, every one of these men will vel
liable. Tn
low. Mr.. Editor, these gentlemen II
e no right to be indignant at NV pro sp'
; l have right to be indignant 'N'
'ry mother has a right to be indignant
m the life or health of her child is r
in jeopardy. Personally, denv the ter
1t of the Light and Water Commission to
erve me and the people of this town VIII
age to drink. Everything they saw in 7
way of excuse is an insult. Thev and
E been warned, plead with and ad- He'
and yet the very next fire NAV be 1in' Dl
managed as to save our property but n
our children. If the Commission an
mt know the danger, they confess and
if they do know. tbev J.
ess something worse. best
an but one citizen; what are the rest gini
g to do about it. This is the time to coin
for if an epidemic should sro' s.
< out, due to polluted water. we ma
not charge it to Providence. but To
members of the Light and Water NJ
mission and if we are Indifferent in cele
of this manifest danger, we NAV the
ge a part of it to ourselves. Eve
G. LAYTON GRIRR. .il lea,l
COMMUNICATED. M
ie Ed itor Of the Chronicle, ness