Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1914-11-12
SANITATION AND HYGIENE NEED
IATTEETION IN HENDERS0NYILLE
Citizen Says That Steps Should be
Taken; Radical Efforts Rather
Than Temporizing Necessary.

Taken; Radical Efforts Rather
Than T~empOrizing Necessary.
--k
In line with the recent editorials in
the Democrat with reference to the
needs of more sanitary methods in
EHenderscnyille, a citizen*furnishes the
timely article be1omr1thich shows that
he has given the situation a careful
study and recognizes the need for inn
mediate action and that he is ready 10
offer his services in this connection.
The article is worthyof the consider
alton Of HendeFsonville and in the
thope that it may ultimately result in
good, is given a follows:
I'm response to your invitation to
use the columns of your paper in the
f~urtherance of the cause Of sanitation
and hygiene in our city, I take the lib
lerty of submitting these few obserYa-
ltions. Criticism of no one is intended,
as measures and not persons will be
discussed
Where flies are there will filth, also,
be" If this be true, then our city
must be an unc1ean place, for n does
not overstate the case when one as
serts that no city of its size in this
country can lay claim to more flies
than can the city of Hendersonville.
They are literally everywhere; IN
doors and out. Never a season passes
that we do not hear countless COM
ments by visitors on the swarms of
flies found here. And the pests are
not of one species. All sorts of flies,
some OF the most lothesome associa-
tons are found by the thousands from,
one end of the town to the other. All
this Indicates an unsual amount of I'M
c~leanness. And these are facts that
may not be gainsaid.
Moreover, where there is an effect
there is a Flies are effects.
And they are caused by filth, dirt and
Cncleanness. And until some radical
step is taken to abolish breeding places
for flies there is no hope for improve
ment. Spasnodic cleanup days, and
the like are futile. You have got to
be on the job all the time. And it
does not do to temporize and trife
with such matters. You have sgot to
be radical. You have got to "about
face" If not these, then let things
alone. You canot cure a blood disease
by amounting the skin. Nor can you
get rid. of flies by removing one case.
and leaving ten others. Some one is
going to be u~nreasonably angry; some
one Inconvenience some one put to
expense whatever the officials do in
the matter. And it is uncomfortable
tLat they will not act before another
season comes around. They must act.
HendersonYile is getting too much no.
toriety as a city of flies and unpleas-
ant smells.
To be more specific, Mr.. Editor, the.
myriads of flies here are traceable to.
well-known causes. The public today
knows that open vaults, COW lots, hog
ipens, chicken yards, livery stables.
| garbage piles, and decaying matter of
all sorts, are the birth and feeding
places of flies. 1 say, the public know
all this, yet many of them will do moth
ing to help the situation, consequently
the few who do keep things clean are
helpless, There will always be found
the Indifference and the anita gonistic
il all efforts of reform. Those who
will not help should not be allowed to
hinder. That's fair enough, isn't it?
These things being so, what should
be done? 1t seems plain enough to
ne. Mr.. Editor, that laws specific
enough to cover all cases that may
arise should be enacted, and then liter
ally enforced. Without favoritism,
without .~sectionalism every property
holder or renter should be forced 10y
a polite and reasonable sanitary in
spector to keep his or her premise
clean all the time.
First of all, there should be a daily
or tri-weekly garbage wagon.
There should be no surface vaults
within the city limits.
There should be no cow lots with
more than one COW confined therein
within the city.
Hogs should altogether be banished.
Chicken lots should be kept clean,
and not made the dumping-ground for
slops and refuse that belong in the
garbage can.
Livery stables should be thoroughly
and carefully screened, and kept clean.
No decaying matter, vegetable or an
imal, should be placed in the open.
AS you have suggested, levy a small
tax to cover the cost of a garbage
wagon. 1t has got to come, why not
now? {
All property holders should pay at