The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-11-06
THE HERRING SYSTEM AND
 THE ALDERMEN.

F'rom the Bridgeport Telegram.)
 The Sewer Committee has ren- dered favorable report concern ing the proposed building of two sanitary sewers upon the modi- fled Herring system. One of these IS to be situated Tn the Brooklawn district and the other in the East End. Although the recommendation was ultimately made unanimous, the reports of the meeting give evidence that there was considerable difference of opinion among the members of this industrious and competent committee. They believed that it was their duty to formulate the conclusions to which the mass of evidence presented to them dur ing the last few months had led them before they went out of office, in order to facilitate the work of their successors. But they wished 1t thoroughly under stood that the report did not com init them to the Herring system as whole. Alderman Stewart raised the. important point that it would be better to give first attention to portions of the city which are already filled with houses but have no adequate sewerage, rather than provide for new districts and aid in real es- tate booms. The final determina- ton to approve these two exper- iments in the Herring methods ap- pears to have been rather Ill the nature of compromise. The committee was unwilling to leave it's work unfinished or disappoint the petitioners. At the same time, it wassby no means con- vinced of the superior methods of the Herring plan.
 The report recommending the construction of the two sewers above specified will be offered to the common council this evening. If the aldermen regard it with favor, the entering wedge of this costly undertaking, concerning which there Is so much difference of opinion among well informed persons, will be effectively in- serted. The scheme is large one and 1t offers many of those opportunities for illegitimate personal profit of which certain elements irl all cities are only too ready to take advantage. It, therefore behooves the aldermen to act with extreme caution Ill this delicate matter. No snap judgment ought to be rendered upon it. The question before them is not merely one of the building of two expensive sewers largely, for the benefit of real es- tate interests, although this also requires consideration Too much money has already been taken from the taxpayers for the enrich ment of land owners. But the main point here is that these two sewers will be built upon a new plan which IS not necessarily 1n harmony with the /older methods. Separate sewers will be provided for the conveyance of rairlwater and household wastes. There Is much dispute among sanitary en- gineers about the value of the latter innovation. It has always been believed that the rainwater was necessary to flush the sewers and prevent the accumulation of corruption. Epidemics have often been attributed to dry seasons which have interfered with this carrying away of disease breed ing sewage. A dispute which in- wolves such grave questions of sanitation ought not to be de- cided hastily.
 It will be III every way untor- tunate if the aldermen who have Ill many respects made an excel lent showing during their term of office, should spoil their honor able record by endorsing the two sewers without due examination after a policy too often pursued by their predecessors in dealing with similar controversies. If they vote for these two sewers they practically render the estab- lishment Of the Herring system an accomplished fact. It is a heavy responsibility for. any civic body to assume without proper deliberation. Immense sums of money are involved, and those who have made study of such problems are by no means a unit in regard to the sanitary benefits which would be conferred by the Herring devices.
 Even If these benefits were more thoroughly ascertained than they are at preesnt, 1t would not be good policy for the board of aldermen to sanction the adop- ton of the Herring system after a hriaf beari,oo ot +La ,,o,xr ,1ooo of