The weekly Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1911-1922, 1911-09-07

cIu&pS OV pei Cctil VI tic pCOpic AL
various cities of this country who are
equipped with good water systems use
all water that is subject to eontanl-
nation. This was stated IN report
of a special investigation of the sani-
tary condition of thirty-two Amer
lean cities. submitted to the Associa-
tion of Life Insurance Presidents re-
Gently by Hiram j. Messenger, actu-
ary, of Hartford, Conn In cities
with sewer systems the population
living I'M houses uneonnected with
sewers was given at about forty per
cent.
The cities investigated are: Lynch
burg. Roanoke. Knoxville, Chattanoo-
ga, Nashville, Louisville. Cincinnati,
Indianapolis. Bloomington. Spring
field. ST. Louis. Memphis Little Rock.
Vicksbure, New Orleans, Mobile,
Montgomery. birmingham. Atlanta.
Macon, Jacksonville. st. Augustine,
Savannah. Charleston. Augusta. Co
1umbia, Charlotte. Danville, Rich
mond. Baltimore, New York and
Hartford
In addition to water supply and
sewage system, the principal points
investigated covered disposal of gar
bage; inspection of milk, meats and
perishable provisions; board of health
ordinances for maintaining sanitary
conditions; laboratory equipment and
work of the department of bacterio-
1ogy; climatic conditions: location of
city and natura! character of sur
rounding country; character of city
government; character of people, with
special reference as to whether or not
they appreciate the Importance of
maintaining proper health conditions
and whether or not there is power
full public statement In regard to
such questions.
"The evidence found practically
everywhere showed that there has
been most wonderful Improvement
In the general sanitary conditions
during the last ten or twenty years.
''It was found that as rule most
of the cities visited had a fairly
good supply of city water. The i'm
portant question in regard to the
city water supply is not so much the
character of the water furnished by
the city water system but the extent
to which tie inhabitants use the citv
water and the extent to which they
make use of some other source of
supply. The extent to which city
water is used varies probably from
20 per cent to close to 100 per cent,
and although it is impossible to OBJ
tain exact figures, upon the whole
probably 20 per cent Is high esti-
mate of the average percentage of
inhabitants using city water in cit
les of $4,000 inhabitants and over.
The remaining 80 per cent or more
obtained their water supply elsewhere
and mainly from wells supplying sur
face water: nearly all of which wells
were subject to contamination and
many of which actually were'contam-
mated.
"Coming to the question of sewage
the percentage of population living in
houses connected with the sewer va
ried from 20 per cent to g5 per cent
with an average of probably less
than 60 per cent-although here also
It was difficult to obtain exact fig
ures. In two cities Zone 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 fur
nished with city water: but is a rult
the cities had this authority but thu
extent to which this authority was
used varied greatly. In general il
can lie said it is possible to find many
cities in the country that have spen1
millions of dollars for sewers and fol
extending the city water system ane
vet from q onaefer to more than hall
of the inhabitants live in houses tha
are not connected with the sewer ana
In great number of sneh cases th'
situation is q closet with no sewer
connection and nearby a wer furnish
ing surface water. and constant dan
Ger of contamination: and j. eanro
be said that these are entirely in th'
new sections of growing citv wher'
sewer ard water mains have not beel
extended. A large number of thesi
cases are on streets that have bee