Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-10-11
Health Officer Woodward Con-
sidering Change In Regu-
Iations Governing Refuse.
HOPES TO FREE THE CITY
OF THE DISEASE BREEDERS.
Geological Survey Official Discusses
Methods in Europe Which Prac.
ticelly Eradicates Nuisance.

convinced that tableS constitute the
principal fly hatcheries of every COM
munity, DR.. William c. Woodward. Dis
trfct health officer, is considering a re-
vision of the stable regulations with
view to making Washington more nearly
nyless next season than 1t has ever been.
Two plans are being Investigated. One
or them calls for municipal collection of
stable refuse The other, which is more
likely to be adopted. contemplates the
PRONUNCIATION Of regulation which would
require the installation in stables of
refuse bins. Under this plan the capacity
of the receptacles would be such as to
necessitate the removal of refuse at least
once every three days, else 1t would col
lect outside the bins and thus be detected
by inspectors of the health Office who
would enter prosecutions because of vio-
lation of the health rules that manure
must be kept in watertight containers.
Room for Improvement.
Generally speaking, the Districts stable
regulations have been considered good,
but DR.. Woodward believes there is room
for improving them. His suggestion for
a municipal collection of refuse Is one
that may be worked out later. as such
scheme 1t is believed, would prove effec-
tive in increasing the sanitation of stables
and eliminating the principal breeding
places Of flies.
Whether or not any changes are made
In the regulations is undetermined, but
the chances are that the rules will he bet
ter enforced next year, as the Commas
sioners. 1t Is understood, will recommend
to Congress an appropriation for the en-
ployment of additional health department
{vro nAof< <ls.VSn v-fs oy,f hos han
hampered in its work through lack of an
adequate inspection force, this applying
to the enforcement of stable and other
regulations.
The problem of eliminating the fly came
up for considerable discussion at the re-
cent meeting in Colorado Springs of the
American Public Health Association. OF
which DR.. Woodward is president and
some new points concerning the activities
Of this pest were brought out. One of
them is that while stable refuse is ia
vorite breeding place of the insect fly
maggots, before they reach the fully
developed state, burrow into the ground
beanth the manure.
DR.. Woodward will consider this point
in connection with the proposed revision
of the stable regulations, and ii may re-
suit in a decision to require all manure
bins to have metal bottoms.
House Fly Menace.
1t is pointed out that the question of
the house fly nuisance and menace comes
down largely to a question of the en-
forcement of the health Office rules re-
garding stables. Flies have been shown
to breed to great extent in horse
manure. and in the cities where the
stable regulations are strictly enforced
there are said to be no flies.
In this connection DR.. G. F. Becker
of the geological survey was recently dis
GUESSING the problem. He said:
When I was last in London 1 was
surprised to find that there were no flies.
You might see one or two a week, but
they were a novelty. l followed up the
municipal regulations to find the cause OF
this condition and discovered that the
regulat tons include one to the effect that
in any stable where there are more than
three horses the accumulation of manure
must be removed and disposed of outside
the city once in twenty-f -four hours.
I'm stables where there are three horses,
or less. the manure must be kept in
fiyproOf receptacle and when there is an
accumulation of one cubic yard it has
to be removed The point of the whole
matter is that the regulation is enforced
and there are no flies.
Il do not know what the municipal reg
ulations are in Berlin, but at the time
was there there were more cab horses iii
the city than l have ever seen anywhere
else. There was not a fly to be found,
and those ranks of horses would stand as
long as they were idle with never a
switch of a tail. do not doubt that it
all came down to the enforcement of the
stable regulations. And you know when
they have a municipal regulation in Ger
many they do enforce it.
Reliance in Health Office.
Personally. / know / had to spend 1929
last spring for fly screens on my town
house. and would have far rather spent
the money in aiding the health Office. In
fact if all the money spent on fly
screens in Washington were contributed