The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-09-19
Canadian and U. S. Joint
Commission to IIvesti-
gate Pollution of Lakes.
POWER GIVEN IN TREATY
Problem Affecting the Welfare of the
People of the Two Countries to be
Dealt With by Reciprocal Legislation
by Both Governments.

When the international joint COM
mission meets at Ottawa, Canada, Oct.
| l, it will begin at once to formulate
a programme for the investigation Of
the pollution of the great lakes and
other boundry waters between the
United States and Canada. This ques-
ton, in the opinion Of officials of the
two governments, has become the most
pressing of all problems affecting the
welfare of the people Of the two coun-
tries
Chicago according to information
collected by the commission, is the
only city on the great lakes which
does not pollute with sewage the wa
ter of the lakes.
Under instructions issued by the
United States and Canada the inter
national joint commission will inves-
tigate to what extent and by what
causes and in what localities the boun-
dairy waters have been SO polluted as
to be injurious to the public health
and unfit for domestic or other uses,
and in what manner it is possible to
prevent the pollution of the waters.
Under article ". of the water ways
treaty of Jan. IL, 1909, between the
United States and Great Britain the
two nations agree that the boundary
waters and waters flowing across the
boundary shall not be polluted on eth
er side to the injury of health or prop
erty on the other.
Chicago is the only city on the
lakes that does not turn it's sewage
back into the source Of it's water sup
ply" said the official of the interna-
tional joint commission Monday. "A1l
other lake cities draw their water sup
ply from the same source where they
empty their sewage
The secretaries of the international
joint commission, by direction Of Chair
man Tawney in this country and
Chairman Casgrain in Canada, have
sent requests to the mayors of all
cities along the international boundrv
for data regarding their water supply
and sewerage-.systems, with the expec-
tatlon that much of this information
will be ready to submit to the ccm-
mission when it meets in Ottawa the
first Tuesday in October.
The international joint commission,
by Article TX, of the treaty with Great
Britain, is authorized to examine the
facts and circumstances of questions
referred to it and report such conclu-
slons and recommendation as may be
appropriate. The reports of this com
mission are not binding decisions, but
are recommendations which may fur
nish the basis for reciprocal legisla-
ton by the governments of the United
States and Canada
Several bills were introduced in both
House and Senate at the last session
of Congress to authorize the interna-
tional joint commission to investigate
this question and some of the advo-
Gates of these bills favored giving the
commission power to act
The State Department here and the
foreign office of Great Britain, how
ever, decided that under article 9 Of
the treaty, which provides that any
question of difference arising between
the two governments involving the
rights and obligations of either in re-
lation to the other or to the inkabi-
tantss OF the other along the common
boundary between the United States
and Canada shall be referred from
time to time to the international Joint
commission for examination and re-
port, & made legislative action unneces-
sary, especially when both governments
agree to submit the question.