The Washington herald., 1913-11-06
POTOMAC Water
DECLARED Pure
Dr.. W. c. Woodward An
swers Statements Made
IN Advertisement.
mo POISONOUS GERMS"
Commerce Chamber Board Of Di-
rectors Passes Resoluions-Com-
nittee to Consider Delegate Bill.

The board of directors of the Chamber
CT Commerce last night condemned per-
sons and corporations who ask newspa-
pers to publish advertisements that are
harmful to Washington and the interests
of its residents at a meeting at the
Chamber OF Commerce rooms.
What brought about the disfavor of the
directors was an advertisement printed
by water company, in which it was
said that Potomac water is impure, and
that II causes many diseases.
DR.. Harry NJ. Kaufman, chairman of
the public health committee, in submit
ting his report, said he had asked DR..
w. C. Woodward, District Health Of
ficer, to disprove the charges.
A resolution was passed condemning
the ''unpatriotic methods of such COM
panies.
Letter of DIR. Woodward.
Following is the letter Of DR.. Wood
ward:
"Dr. Harry NJ. Kaufman, Chairman
Committee on Public Health, Chamber
OF Commerce, Washington, D. C.-Dear
Sir: beg to acknowledge receipt Of your
letter of the 31st ultimo, asking for a
statement from this department concern
ing an advertisement of a water COM
pany that appeared in one or more Of
our local newspapers on September g,
1918. This advertisement is adroitly mis-
leading and is grossly unjust to this city.
The statement of facts is incomplete and
the questions addressed to the reader are
calculated to convey to his mind a false
impression.
''Presuming that your committee Is
made up largely of Iaymen who lack the
technical knowledge necessary to enable
them to answer accurately the questions
be presumed that the impression created
in the minds of the committee by these
questions represents fairly the impress
sion created in the minds of the average
intelligent laymau. In order, therefore,
that your committee may understand the
difference in the effect these questions
are calculated to create in the minds Of
the public generally and the impression
that they create in the mind of one who
may reasonably be presumed, it is hoped,
to be familiar with the subject matter
in which the advertisement contains,
append these questions, answered as the
health officer would answer them. By
comparing these answers with those to
which, in the average lay mind, the ques-
tons directly lead, your committee can
understand why 1 characterize the ad- |
yertisement as misleading.
No Poisonous Germs.
"Q.-Do you know that at certain |
times during the year the water you /
drink contains thirteen times more bac- |
terra, or poisonous germs. than the COM |
mon, ordinary sewer-polluted Potomac |
River water supply?''
Al do not, and as a matter of fact |
such is not the case, nor are the terms |
Bacteria and poisonous germs spnon-
omous as the advertisement would
apparently have the public believe. More
over, no poisonous germs in any guam
tity have been found in the Potomac
River water supplied to this District"
"Q-Do you know that over one-fifth
C21 40 per cent? of the deaths in Wash
directly to the present water supply?'
Al do not. There is no evidence
whatsoever that such was the case"
@. Do you know that one person
out of fifty-three inhabitants died in
in 1911?
"A. No; the figures are one out of |
hfty-fve, approximately. But there is
no evidence whatsoever to connect
these deaths with the water supply.
q. Do you know what Washington
water really is?
"A. Yes; well enough to be willing to
drink it as it comes from the faucet
C. Do you know that the impure
and excessively hard water we are
forced to use in Washington, either
causes or aggravates the following dis
eases: CFigure shows deaths due to
these diseases in 191D Typhoid (75),