Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-09-18
PUBLIC HEALTH SURVEY
WORK ABOUT ENDED
Federal and State Doctors Not
Pleased With Conditions in
Annapolis.
CITY HAS A BLACK MARK.
The Only One Of 35 Towns That Has
Not Responded to Call for Santa
tiOn---Who is to Blame, City
Fathers?

Fathers?
Unless something is done and done
/ speedily, Annapolis will have the un-
enviable distinction CD of going down
into history of the records kept by the
Federal and State Board of Public
Health Survey is the ONE city of 35
| that has not been responsive to the
/ conditions of sanitation
This will not look well for Annap-
| oils. but it is none the less true. ac-
| cording to a statement made yesterday
| afternoon to this paper by DR. L. L.
Lumsden, Federal health officer and
| DR.. Laughlin, both of whom have done
| their work faithfully and well, but not
to their own satisfaction, so far as An
napolis is concerned.
Both these physicians and others have
| appeared before the Mayor and City
Council from time to time urging the
| passage of an ordinance compelling
| owners of three hundred houses un-
| attached to sewers be properly fixed
for sanitary reasons. That there are
only three hundred insanitary houses
| in this city is matter for congratula-
| tion, but that these three hundred
| owners cannot be made to comply with
the law for the betterment of health
conditions, is deplorable.
On the face of it, it would appear pol
itics is in this, as we'll as in everything
else, but now that the municipal cleo
| tion is over ,and the primaries are a
| thing of the past why not get to work
and remedy these foul conditions that
| will place Annapolis on the map as the
only one of the thirty-fve cities with a
population of over 1000 that has not
given response to requests urged by
the Public Health Service.
1t will only cost some $500 to remedy
| the evil, and it would pay three or four
business men to get together and save
Annapolis this widespread publicity it
must have if the insanitary conditions
are not remedied.
The Federal and State Board of Pub
| lie Health have been at work in this
county since March. Their time ex-
pires here on October 1, but there yet
| remains enough time to correct evils
of public insanitation that exists.
In nine counties and thirty-five cities
| that this board has worked in since
its inception year or two ago, this
city has the unique distinction of be-
ing the only one not to give quick
response. The Doctors do not mean to
knock" the city, rather they prefer to
boost it; they want good results, but
he city authorities do not seem willing
to give the proper cooperation.
When shown the foul condition of a
| certain house on Acton Lane, one of
the high city officials exclaimed my
| God!" yet nothing has been done to
remedy this, and flies breed there,
maggots form, and these flies are
crawling over the baby's milk bottle
and the food YOU eat
Three hundred such places exist in
| this city, and remedy can be applied,
but whose fault is it that it is NOT?
While not pleased with results in
Annapolis, Dr.Lumsden and DR. Laugh
| lin ARE pleased with results of their
| work in the county, where over 35 per
cent. of the homes have made definite
and marked improvements after only
one visit to the houses. Over 10 1-2
per cent. houses when revisited, show
a striking improvement.
This is especially true of Mayo, South
River, where rs per cent. of the homes
show marked improvement along SAN
itary lines, and rs per cent. of the peo-
pie did what they were asked. East
port shows only 10 percent. improve
ment; Germantown, none.
Western cities are doing greater
things in the line of work than the
East. A striking illustration is the
town of Fredina, in Wilson county,
Kansas, which has responded amazing
| ly 1t is about the size of Annapolis.
but unlike this city, has done all it
could to improve sanitary conditions
when appealed to by the Federal and
State Board of Health.
On October Fredina will have "San-
itary Day." when there will be parades,
music, the schools will close, also the
stores, and there will be $4,000 people
who will assemble to celebrate a"Clean
Town" Pathes Weekly will show pic
lures of Before" and after" and the
little city, scarcely heard of before
will be on the map because of advertis-
ing its sanitary homes and its very
clean surroundings.
1t pays to advertise-even santa
ton. Why cannot Annapolis do this,
rather than be published broadcast with
three hundred insanitary homes and
foul back yard conditions. Who is to