Omaha daily bee., 1915-10-23
Common Sense VS.. Pru derry


trR proudest boast IL that we arc civilized but in
certain corners OF our mind we are stil savage
- pure savage. We have outgrown the totem and
the tom-tom. but stil cover under the tyranny
Of the taboo. There still certain things which II
IL forbidden to mention whose existence may not oH
officially recognized. whose names are not allowed 10
appear in public.
A funny tumble they are, from the ineffable names
OF the gods which must not be taken In vain, and the
bnd luck. which must not be mentioned for fear OF
bringing Il upon US 20 the social evil and comfort
station, which even in this twentieth century dare
not call by their right How fearfuly binding
st Is the taboo laid us by Puritan ancestors
has been WILDLY illustrated in the address OF tho
president Of the American Public Health association,
Prof sedgwick, at the recent annual meeting IN
Rochester.
His address dealt with our sanitary successes and
failures. High up on the list OF the latter he placed
the utter nadeQuacy and insufficient supply Of com
fort stations in our large cities.
As an Illuminating illustration he cited the fact
that New England city OF 10000 population
had just held public demonstration to celebrate the
opening Of its first and only comfort station, secured
after ten years Of determined effort on the part OF
the health authortes Judging by past experience 1t
will now probably rest on It's aurels for another ten
years pointing proudly to the establishment
answer to all complaints and making 1t OF the
show places OF the for country visitors like she
court house and the jail. instead of proceeding to
add at the least ten, better. twenty, such
veniences. which its population demands for the pub
lie health and comfort That is the worst Of taboo;
the evil which you not permitted to mention
discuss Is tn.reupon treated as If it did not exist
Which somehow does not TO discourage Il in the
least Maladies spread by insanltary immoral
sonR habits attack the modest just frequently
the immodest the innocent vciousy the guilty;
but what does all that matter long &c have
preserved unsuiled our propriety and our prudery?
The arguments in favor Of abundant supply OF
comfort stations In our towns and cities
obvious unanswerable that It is scarcely necessary
TO more than mention them. Not only are all public
health experts. santarans physicians and organiza-
tons for the protection OF children. OF in in
dustry and OF workers generally unanimous In de-
manding them but practically every intelligent human
being who has considered the matter dispassionatey
for five minutes, is convinced their desirabiy.
Butand then the begin for not building them
Perfect refinement of both speech and behavior
and absolute correctness of conduct highly desir
able but there Is In their binding US to-
u their actual attainment In the slightest degree him
dered by the frank recognition Of the that every
living human being has certain imperative physical
needs which must be met. average. every two
four hours II these demands not properly and ade
quately met the result will be discomfort and
risk of injury the individual serious
Increase OF the chances for the spread Of disease
throughout the community
The discomfort and injury to the individual need
no proof. Ones own personal experiences and fire.
quent first-hand observations of the distress an
noyance and embarrassment of others is overwhelm-
ingiy sufficient. The straitE and humiiiations TO
which all sorts OF individuals put by the lack
these fundamental necessities OF decency and health
particularly strangers in the city, women Of nervous
temperament and young children or those who have
the care OF them. simply abomnabe both in their
frequency and in their to health and comfort
In fact we would not tolerate such amount Of
suffering, discomfort and menace health for mo
ment In any other field OF human activity Not only
Ia the mental distress and moral humiliation bad
enough In Itself to demand immediate relief by SO
simple and easy means, but there is serious risk Of
mild and temporary rritations being goaded into So
rous chronic diseases, to say nothing of laying the
foundations for retention of poisonous wastes in
the system which may lead grave and lasting
forms of blood poisoning and auto-intoxcation.
The community Is at last getting ashamed OF its
foolish prudery afin md hogl
mand that there shall be abundance OF these neces
stiles OF life provided that no one need TO be COM
PEELED to go morethan two three blocks TO find
one. instead Of II now happens in some OF our
most famous and beautiful city parks half or three
quarters OF mile Often then. In New York to find
It closed for cleaning CD repairs or because n "a
after $3.50 o'clock They be well lighted and
Northumberland buried In holes In ground as IA the
present practice-and well supervised and watched
both to prevent them from becoming offensive aud
70 make them serve as school education In sani-
tary good manners and lfesaving behavior for both
tne rising generation and the new arrival, whether
from the country from abroad