The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-01-05
~ ESTHER GRIFFIN WHITE.

! That 1t isn't in the sumner alone
that the streets need to be watered OF
oiled was demonstrated yesterday
when the wind swirled dust in clouds
| And the pedestrian Dreathed into
his respiratory organs AL the filth OF
the streets.
The writer has little knowledge OF
the function of the city treasury, aside
from the general one. but it would
seem public benefaction for the mu
nicipality to take the affair of the
disease-breeding streets into consider.
alton. The streets should be put into
the character that made life miser.
able yesterday would be impossible.
Or at least minimized.
1t has been illustrated, locally, that
oil is the beat dust-kil,er.
People are prejudiced against oil on
the streets before they know anything
about it.
They think it will smell disagree
ably, track in the house and be gen
orally odious
This Is not the case. Seen by those
streets and portions of the highways
which were oiled last summer-prop-
erly oiled.
1t is the only method 0y which ma
cadamized streets can DC made decent
and livable.
This Is not an expert opinion. But
it's a general one. It's c simple prop
osition. The oiled streets lay the dust
and keep it laid.
The elimination of dust from the at
mosphere is one of the most important
of municipal problems. Its a good
deal more important than conducting
Chautauqua or endowing an art
exhibit
All sorts Of diseases are and may be
spread by city dust. Everybody knows
this.
People nowadays have a good deal
of general information on the subject
of sanitation and hygiene. Everybody
Or almost every intelligent person
knows that dirt is bad The city
knows it. The Council knows it.
The Board of Works knows It, The
voters know it.
The Women know it--but they don't
count. although they are more affected
by it than any other class of citizens.
If the women voted the thing would
probably soon be settled.
But women are-an old. old gag
Jumped with idiots. children and Grim.
inals-so far as civic functions are
concerned.
Since everybody in position to
remedy this filthy condition for it is
filthy-is fully aware of its evils. why
don't they do something to correct it?
1t should be done-could be-ought
to be.
Then why isn't it done'
The simplest way to do a thing is
to do it. What's the use quibblilng
and sidestepping and avoiding and
promising and wire-pulling and laying
on the table until the next meeting
and pigeon-holing and making believe
and saying we'll do it :ext year?
Government is merely a medium
for executing the wishes of the gov
erned. In this country The governed
are supposed to be the government
They aren't. But they can be ANY
old day" they want to be.
The dust problem in this city could
be settled next week There's no
earthly reason why it should not be.
Why isn't it then?
There's tremendous lot of talk
about the tariff. the Sherman law.
Woodrow Wilson. Taft. the money
power and the great horn spoon-but
not thing done to conserve the
health of the community.
Look at our alleys.
Smell our uncovered garbage cans.
See the germ-laden dust blowing
whittier it listeth.
There's nothing. after all, so silly,
as Man and his manipulation of his
own affairs
Read. day in. day out. the accounts
of legislative and congressional hap
penings. and then the budget at the
end. and the wonder is that the con-
stituency doesn't go off in some silent
spot and blow it's brains out in hope
lessness over the assinine idiocy of
the machinery of government
Who cares continental "demn''
about the wool schedule? The price
OF eggs remains the same.
What's the difference between a
progressive and standpatter? Moth.
ing-when they train their optics on
the presidential chair
Who cares rap about the Stand.
ard Oil decision-because the man
hauls it past your door every day and
its cheaper and more convenient than
when you had to lug it from the cor.
ner grocery-when all we want is
Roosevelt elected.
Nobody really knows whether Roose.
welt Is fraud or not And nobody
cares. At least he knows "how to
act" when he's called on to. do any