The Penn's Grove record., 1915-11-12
DRAINAGE PROBLEM SOkVED
bitches Which Take Storm Water From
Streets To Be Cleaned By Council,
Tributaries By Individuals.
All Get Busy.
Water Snake 1Falled To Local Lair.

The fOrtnlghtly meeting OF Penns
Grove Board of Health was held last
Friday night. w. P. Denny presided.
The other members are H. L. Blohm,
secretary; s. M. Justice and w. A.
Summerill and DR.. E. N. Davidson.
Some members of the Borough
Council, several citizens and d. @.
Bowen, the State Inspector, were pres
emf.
In regards to the condemnation Of
wells. Mr.. Bowen was informed as was
the president of the State Board of
Health, William A. Chew, editor Of
the Salem Standard & Jerseyman, last
Thursday, that the people of Penns
Grove did not purpose upon giving up
their we'll water, ON their alleged claim
that there were a few harmless bac-
terra in them, and not until it was
proved that there vas malignant BAG
terra in them injurious to health.
Mr.. Bowen said he knew when a
we'll would become bad when he look
ed at it, but gave no advice how to
keep the we'll in good order nor how to
remedy the defect when bad, except to
close 1t up and take corporation wat
err. He mentioned a well in North
Jersey to which typhoid fever mad
been traced but named none in South
Jersey, nor in Penns Grove.
In regards to the drainage Of che
Borough all recognize it should be
done. The bubble has been for two
years as to who should do it. New
Councilmen and new members of the
Board of Health and a new street sup
erVisor having come into Office with
different opinions from what had been
done in previous years led to. nothing
being done.
Some citizens having water on their
properties had received notices from
the health inspector and were present
to help thresh out the problem The
most prominent being William a..
Sack, one of the largest land owners
and heaviest taxpayers, who had The
same controversy with previous Conn
ellis and Township Committees. He
said that the Township Committee
had cleaned out the ditch through his
meadow previous to the organization
of the Borough in 1894, and the Town
ship. Committee and meadow owners
had Jointly paid the expense. Since
the meadows became valueless as pas
lure and for hay, and since the streets
had been graded to put all the storm
water through these bitches the Bor-
ough Council had cleaned out the
bitches where the storm water flowed
from the streets. He had consulted.
legal counsel years ago and had told
former Councilmen that the storm
water from the streets could go thru
the meadow ditch if the Borough kept
the drains open. If he had to keep the
drains open the Borough could take
care of the storm water and drainage
from the streets.
Joseph Sailor, former member Of
Township Committee, Board of Health
ana Street Supervisor, vas present.
Upon cross-questioning by w. A. Sum-
merrill, Mr.. Sailor verified what Mr..
Sack had said. He had received or
ders from Councilmen to clean out
the storm sewer bitches, had received
pay for it from the Council. Asa G..
Justice, former Borough Clerk, veri-
fed Mr.. Sailor and said he had given
the order which paid Mr.. Sailor.
Mr.. Justice and DIR. H. T. Johnson
who own adjoining lots along the
storm sewer drain from Main street,
near Franklin, said they had never
R6l0 LOl SiCdHAiS OuI Ih0I Qldhi. IL
the Borough does not want that drain
open which takes the water from Har-
mony street six hundred feet distant
they would fill it up. For persons to
dig out the ditch on their properties
when the main storm sewer bitches
below were not opened, the more they
dug the bigger nuisance created.
Councilman C. P. Lummis contend
ed that it was the business of the
Board of Health to see about this
drainage; that when he was secretary
of the Board of Health he did so. This
was denied by both Mr.. Sailor who did
the work, and by Mr.. Justice who is
sued payment.
The bitches have not been cleaned
out for two years because of the con-
trolling opinion of DR.. Lummis. At
the same time the Council furnished
no funds for the Board of Health to
do so. For the Board of Health to
prosecute the citizens might "ki1l the
members of the Board and to not
drain the town the State Board of
Health says will kill the people.
In the meantime citizens of the Bor-
ough have notified the State Board OF
Health and asked them to look after
the sanitary conditions of the Bor-
ough. and among the number is re-
ported to be DR.. Lummis and another
who is a stockholder of Penns Grove
Water Company. If the reports be
not true a denial WILDE welcomed
through the Record.
Three months ago the State Board
got the Borough Council to promise
money for the Board of Health to use
Two months ago when the president
OF the Board of Health asked for the
funds he was ignored and laughed at
by the Councilmen. 1t was decided to
issue debt certificates. Such was left
in the hands of the Finance Commit
tie, Harrison H. Holton, chairman, and
DIR .Lummis.
Mr.. Holton Is local collector for the
Water Company. The more wells con-
demned the more corporation water