The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-10-03
E.. Fl. DILLON & co.

the surface by wind and sun action. Moreover, basin No. is very poorly constructed, the sides are cracked and are not brought high enough above the water level. This whole basin should be reconstructed according to proper design and in substantial manner.
 Not In Tidy Condition.
 He also says as, in previous years, the surroundings of the tank and f1- ters have been kept in most dis reputa ble and unsight1y condition. No attempt of any account has been made to keep the plant in even a tidy condition.
 The chemist at the sprinkling plant informed me that if there was no or ganic matter in the water, the water should have full 100 per cent. of oxy- gen in it. Inasmuch as there is only 65 per cent. of oxygen left in the er- fluent after it passes through the sprinkling filters, it follows that s35 per cent. of oxygen has been con stunned by the organic matter in the sewage, therefore, the remaining or ganic matter cannot be consumed be- cause of the lack of OXygen,l and the eff1uent passing back into the river must remain impure. Odors are ap- parent at all these works and at con siderable distances away.
 The sewage disposed of at these
 W the sewage of Reading. The bal ance of the sewage of Reading runs into old cesspools and drains ana where it finally goes to, no one seems to know. Cities like Reading, Bethle hem, Allentown and other cities To- cated on the lines of the Schuylkill, the Lehigh, and the Delaware Rivers are growing so fast in population that the sewage from these cities flowing into these different rivers have fouleo and polluted the waters to such ali extent that great danger arises to all cities bordering on these streams, as in many cases, the water from these rivers is still used for household pur. poses. State Boards of Health ana Local Boards of Health are continu- ally agitating and working together to evolve plans for sanitary sewage.
 The enormous expense attending the encouragement of their present sewer systems in all these inland cit ies bordering, on different rivers cre- ates a hardship for the tax payers, to such an extent that they naturally postpone large expenditures of mon ey in Jumps sum.
 The City of Lancaster, population about 50,000 has ordered an investt- gation of every sanitary sewer plant east of Missouri, with view of com Dining all the best features into one, as near as possible, perfect system. After this is done, not only the City of Lancaster, but other inland cities will make arrangements to either issue bonds or appropriate so much annually from taxation as to eventually stop the pollution of the rivers. In asking one prominent en- gineer's opinion about present condi- tions of the Herring system in Read ing, he made the general statements that he did not believe that sanitary sewering up to the present time, had been more than one-tenth perfected
 It would be hard matter to find where Reading has benefited to any great extent by the Herring Disposal System.
 The greasy, soapy water from the sinks still run in her gutters; the same old, cesspools and blind drains absorb over one half of the sewage of the city and the pollution of the river goes on just the same. Read ours on the average and the health of her people continues to be excel lent.
 Urges Personal Investigation.
 In making the above investigation. have requested information as to the good qualities and the bad quail ities of the Reading Herring system. without expressing any personal opfn ion of my own. I failed to see the City Engineer of Reading in person but was presented with the City En- gineer's report from which I have taken few of his statements.
 Have any members of the Board of Aldermen or any other parties in- terested in trying to force this Her ing system upon the tax payers or Bridgeport, made g personal invest1- gation of any Of Hering's installa- tions? Haven't they just taken Hering's say so and let it do at that !?