Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-10-20

from attracting flies. l know of one shop
i'm Boston, however. which is an OPEN
air one. and which l have never seen an
noyed by flies. / think the real secret is
the scrupulous cleanliness in and around
the counter IT seems to prove that ex-
treme cleanliness will avert most of the
troubles of attraction to the pest even in
so odorous an article as fish.
Right here 1 should like to ask the
housewives if they are particular as to
the wrapping paper OF the fish which
they purchase. 1t Is customary at SO
many stands to wrap their fish in news
papers. To prevent the moisture from
the body of the fish soaking through to
the purchasers clothing. it seems more
efficacious and cheap to the standkeepers
to use many thicknesses of newspaper than
more expensive wrapping paper. Their
motives may be laudable, but In the pur-
chase OF their newspaper supply they
sometimes do business with the junk
man. The sources of his supply are gen.
orally questionable, and, as all newspa-
pers are well known resting places for
germs and dust, the danger Of transfer
ence to the fish is evident.
Il feel that an ideal shop is SO equip
ped that its meats are kept in glass-frOnt
refrigeratOrs that they may be always OH
fruit stands so elevated from the floor
that dust will not be blown upon the
produce at every swish of q passing wom-
ans skirts. its cakes and candies under
glass covers. and in general everything
salable SO shielded that there will be no
possibility of pollution from germs.
''In Boston we inaugurated a system by
which We secured very material aid from
housewives all over town. In each divi-
sion Of the community We organized a
&orsa Of yr-Ini nh W. q
Each one has a leader. who keeps record
of the investigation OF the shops in her
neighborhod, and the experiments In
sanitation of the members. Such lists
were presented at the regular meetings
of the Women's League.
1--WE have tried to reach the house
keeper OF the future by placing an ex-
hibit similar to the one We have here in
all of the schoolrooms. and train the chill
dren to differentiate between conditions
which are sanitary and those which are
not The children are SO aggressive that
they Immediately carry their ideas into
the little shops from which they buy
their cakes and candies. The league, in
such cases. influences more than it an
ticipated.
II hope" said Miss Norton in conclusion,
that Washington housewives will not
think that all OF our Boston shops are
insanitary and need reorganization. The
board of health, whose work We supple
ment, would be very displeased II 1t mag,
iped I came to Washington and pictured
the condition Of all Boston groceries as
worthy of nothing butt condemnation. The
explanation for our finding in our inves-
legations SO many shopkeepers who were
culpable is that every ship landing IN our
harbor supplies us with a load OF un-
skilled foreigners, who open and purchase
a little store as the first means of main
tenance. They are ignorant of rules and
regulations so that our work of enforce
ment is a steady process. and We no soon
er educate one set of shopkeepers to An
understanding of the lawsoCf hygiene
than an ignorant, inexperienced set buys
out the shops and replaces them.
u feel that q friendly campaign will