The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-10-26

DR.. s. r. M. KENNEDY
down these screens can be thrown open
so that the flies feeding on the manure
in the streets. attracted by the light,
can join those at dinner and amuse
themselves by crawling over the sugar
and dropping into your coffee. OF
course this was an oversight on the
part OF the man who drew up the law,
he left it out, but since It is left out,
let's see that the law, just as he wrote
it, is-obeyed.
Under the laws the state board of
health has the general supervision of
the public health of the state of Flor
ida and has power to make, promul-
gate and enforce such rules and reeu-
lations as may be necessary for the
preservation of same. Acting under
this power, the board passed a rule
which has the weight of law, that all
fruit stands and butcher shops in this
state should protect food and fruit Of
fered for sale, by screens so placed
that flies cannot crawl over the food
or fruit
Now this law does not give the pro-
prietor of the fruit stand the right to
take these screens off his fruit at sun
down, and the board of health has Just
won case against ten or more fruit
stand owners, in another section of the
state, because they insisted upon dfso-
beying this rule.
Public sentiment can force this law
to be obeyed.
Fly Breeding Places.
Before leaving this all important
subject OF screening, let me try to
show you how much harder it is to
carry on war against the fly, as
things stand now, than it would be if
the law already existing was enforced
There is a law in this state, which
makes 1t unlawful for any person or
persons to keep or maintain any horse
or mule, within any Incorporated city
or town. within five hundred feet of
any residence or store, except under
such conditions as shall effectively pre-
vent the breeding and liberating Of
flies.
Flies are bred and born in filth; they
walk over consumptive SpittIe, and the
excreta from typhoid patients-collect-
ing hundreds Of germs on their brush
like feet and legs, and fly off to deposit
these germs on your babys nursing
Dottle or IN your food.
If there were no flies there would be
no need of the newspapers printing on
their editorial pages every few days
Swat the Fly
By keeping their breeding places
screened and by destroying them In
embryo, there would be no flies to
swat.
An ordinance which is as badly
needed as the milk ordinance I spoke
of, is one that will provide for the
screening of all surface prfvies in the
city hmits-those not connected with
the sanitary CD sewer. This should be
attended to at once.
There is a state law, and a city or
dinance against splitting in public
places. Ask yourself how often is this
ordinance broken.
That Nuisance
Those of you who live close enough
to the stench-producing nuisance north
Of the city will be glad to know that
under the head of nuisances, the state
provides that, "All nuisances which
tend to annoy the community, or in
lure the health of the citizens gen.
orally or to corrupt the public morals, |
shall be indictable and punishable by
a fine not exceeding two hundred dol |
lars at the discretion of the court, and |
any nuisance which tends to the fmme- |
date annoyance of the citizens in gen |
eral, or is manifestly injurious to the |
public health and safety or tends to |
corrupt the manner and morals of the |
people may be removed and suppressed |
by the order of the justice of the peace
Of the district founded upon the vir- |
dict Of twelve householders of the |
same, who shall be summoned, sworn |
and impaneled for that purpose, which /
order shall be directed to, and exc
cuted by any sheriff or constable of |
the county, and an indictment shall lie
for the same"
All 1t takes is public sentiment.
Stagnant Water.
Just a few words concerning stag
nant water. Under Section 800 of the |
city code, all places in which stag
nant water, filth or drainage collects |
and stands SO as to become dangerous |
to the health Of persons IN the city of /
Pensacola, are hereby declared to be
nuisances Injurious to the public |
health, and, the board of public works
whenever requested by the city board /
OF health, shall promptly abate any
such nuisance existing in any street or
other public place.
Under our new form of charter, we 1
have neither a board Of health nor a |
board OF public works. but If public
sentiment were strong enough, 1 think |
that our commissioner, who looks after
the health of the community, might be
induced to request our commissioner
Of streets and public works to relieve
hose poor unfortunates living on East
street, south Of the ceme-