The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1912-01-19
SANITARY CONDITIONS IN IDAHO
Address Of James H. Wallis to Grocers
and Hardware Men.

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and Hardware Men.
Mr.. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen:
Thanks to the kindness of those hav-
ing your program in hand, have
been allowed to select my own sub
Ject for the talk | am scheduled to
give here this afternoon. 1t is almost
paradoxical to ask Pure Food man
to talk to bunch of hardware deal
ers, but you have come to my relief by
inviting to meet with you the grocers
OF our State, SO that what | may have
to say l will try and make of some
value to all classes assembled here. |
thought few words by way of intro
! duction along the lines OF general sani-
tary conditions in your places of bust
ness might be OF some profit AS the
official charged with the enforcement
| OF all sanitary laws, l take a great
interest in my official inspections over
| the State to encourage all classes of
business men with whom | come in
contact, to be clean not only in thei,
general appearance when on duty be-
mind the counter, but also in their
stores and warehouses, in their cell
Jars and alleys. 1t has been said that
Cleanliness is next to Godliness," but
am constrained to confess that god
| illness seems away in the distance with
some of our stores l am sometimes
led to think that some men have no
respect for themselves,let alone for
those with whom they come in con-
tact. For instance, an excellent wo-
man, the proprietor of hotel in
small town, became absolutely dis
couraged with the unsanitary condi-
lions prevailing in the immediate
neighborhood of her hosiery. She
wrote me, that Just across the street
from my hotel there is livery stable
that has not been cleaned for years.
The accumulation of filth is rotted and
the stencil is terrible. The flies swarm
by the millions, and altogether it is
offensive and disease producing con-
d1tlon. | am trying to keep my place
clean and attractive, but here is a
| ne1ghbor who Is determined to tear
down the town and injure business
through his uncleanliness. Our Health
Officer is OF no value. He seems not
| to know bit more Of sanitation than
Balaam's ass did of Hebrew grammar
This lady was doing her best to keep
her little\hotel clean and healthy She
| had the windows of her few bedrooms
screened, and also screen doors on her
dining room, and while this protection
kept out the flies, yet her guests at
night, during the warm summer even
| ings, anxious to get breath of fresh
air, could not open their windows, be-
| cause of the odor that flowed in from
the condition that was maintained by
a thoughtless and dirty citizen across
the street.
We have found some restaurants
with the most vile conditions existing
In the back part of their establish
ments, and l have felt sorry for some
of you travelling men who have to
leave comfortable home, with its
clean, well-cooked food, and live at
| some Of the places we have been in
specting in Idaho the last year. We
| have found men operating some of
these places who should be sent to
Jail for permitting the filthy condi-
| lions we have found existing, for 1t is
absolutely criminal to feed men with
| food we have found in some of these
| establishments. All kinds of meat is
run through sausage machines, which
are hardly ever cleaned out, and in
which cockrOaches run riot, and where
flies feed on the particles of meat left
from one meal to another, breeding in
lection and disease. Tea and coffee
in bulk Is exposed to the dirt and dust,
and even found to contain dead flies,
which are more often boiled, than
found, by the person making the tea
or coffee. Ice-bOxes, in which the
meats are kept are hardly ever wash
ed out, and become foul smelling, des-
troying the flavor of the food products
they contain. Cats are found sleeping
on tops Of sacks of flour or on the
pastry table, and in many cases dogs
have free access to the kitchen. It is
safe to say that in at least 80 per cent
OF the restaurants we have inspected,
we have found some Of the conditions
here pointed out, and yet there are
some who imagine we are little too
harsh in the enforcement of the law
when we arrest keepers of such places
and insist on them being heavily fined
We have inspected grocery stores
where the conditions were a sad re-
fection upon the persons operating
them. AS we entered the door there
would be box Of dried peaches open
to the public view With absolutely no
covering of any kind. Boxes Of apples,
grapes, berries and other fruit were
exposed for sale with no covering, and
placed where children and patrons of
the store might handle them as they
saw fit The cheese would rarely be
under q proper cover. French mixed
candies would be found behind the
| counter in open boxes, and an open
barrel OF ginger snaps at the side. The
i place might be screened, but made
i Quately, so that there were myriads of
flies surrounding everything that was
exposed. In an attempt to lessen the
number of flies, sticky fly-paper would
be found laying upon the counters and
other open spaces. The windows
would be covered with fly specks.
which could be readily seen, and so
in truth, did they cover everything
else exposed, although you could not
see them as plainly as on the window
A cat would be found, whose favorite
lounging place was upon the counter,
alongside the cheese, so as to keep the
mice away. Customers bring their
dogs into such store and they nose