Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1915-05-15
RATES or ApyRrIsIEa
Water Purification Important.

Convincing as are the considerations
10 favor of water publication. present
"a by President George t. Melvin of
the Annapolis Water Company in that
part Of his report published yesterday,
an immediate aspect Of the matter is
given the people of this city for their
intimate examination in the con-
Guiding pages of his report. which APP
pear in the Capital today.
That filtered water for Annapolis is
~ longer Of mere academic interest
will be recognized in the tenor and
purpose of the act passed at the last
sssion Of the legislature. placing in
the hands Of the State Board OF
Health the most extensive supervi-
s,on and control of all public water
supplies. This law is perhaps the most
lvanced and effectively-drawn stat
ute Of It's kind to be found in any
state 1t covers several pages of the
Acts Of 1914. and was evidently so
written a. 10 be certain to be upheld
by the courts. Its purpose is to give
10 the State Board of Health, in its
discretion, the most ample powers ito
protect the public health and COM
fort" i'm respect to waterworks, sewer.
re and refuse disposal systems con-
sructed for public benefit.
II is generally well known that among
the extension Of governmental func-
tions in recent progressive years the
public health authorities are being in
vested not only with new powers, but
with the means Of effectively exercis-
ing them; and Chapter $40 of the Acts
of 1914 is not as radical departure
as might on first impression be thought.
There is no doubt, we may remark.
that the State Board of Health is
thoroughly cognizant of the necessity
of water publication. and of its meth
DDS and results outside of Maryland.
and the new law will be a powerful
weapon in its hands IN compelling the
installation of filtration in any COM
munities that, in its discretion, re-
quire il. The Board has the example
of Baltimore city as a home illustra-
ton 4 the worth and workings of this
approved system of water publication.
As a matter of fact there is author
i,y for saying that. in the opinion of
the State Board of Health, all pub
lie water supplies in the State will
have to, sooner or later, land not
very much later. at that) come
around TO filtration.
Naturally, the people of any COM
munitywhere filtration is proven neces-
sary. will ask, what is the cost? While
the dollars and.cents-view, with this
as with other matters Of grave public
moment, does not and should not al
ways rule, yet it is a practical thing
TO take into account the monetary
cost. The Baltimore filtration plant is
said to be model, and to have been
built without regard to necessary ex-
pense, keeping in view the construc-
ton of the most complete and approved
kind of plant 1t has TO do big
work, the supplying of one hundred and
twenty million gallons of filtered
water daily to the six hundred thOus-
and inhabitants of the city and its
environs. The plant. therefore, is said
TO have cost in the neighborhood of
one and three-quarters of a million
dollars.
Here in Annapolis, according to
Mr.. Melvin's report, the demand
would be for about a million gallons
Of filtered water day, and by
spending approximately one one hun
bred and twentieth of what Baltimore
has spent an adequate filtration system
could be installed here. In the present
financial condition Of the Water Com
pany, its expenditure could, he claims.
he made with good judgment. In the
three years of municipal control and
ownership Of the waterworks, it has
paid in net income. an aggregate of
more thsn $Ss.000.
We hope this filtration subject will
he taken up by our people and thor
oughly considered from every point of
view; and as an aid to its proper dis
cussion and settlement we commend
TO all our readers the facts and con-
illusions presented in the report of the
President of the Water Company.
Did you read the District Nurses
~ov,orf nv, the Aims Huuse2 If not