Putnam patriot., 1915-05-14
HOUSE FOR ANTI
POLLUTION BILL.
Measure Gives Health Board
Power Over Sewer Extension
BILLBOARD TAX is PASSED
Assessment of Two Cents per Square
Foot Provided For-Senste Re-
port Favors Repeal Of Aid
for WestviIle District.

tSDHGlal fAdTltOEu ANAkNS Ft0URHGD-t
Hartford.-The house adopted and
sent to the senate a bin governing the
disposal of sewage into inland and
tidal waterways. The bill provides
that no new sewer system may he con
structed in the future to empty into
any waterway unless the layout is APP
proved by the state board OF health
and that no additions or extensions
nay be made to existing sewer sys-
tens without the state health boards
sanction.
Various clarifying amendments
were adopted at the motion of DR..
Griswold of Berlin, chairman of the
committee on public health and safety,
one of which makes clear the exemp-
ton Of sewer systems now in the
course of construction from the pro-
visions of the bill, as TO the necessity
of approval by the state health board.
This latter amendment was made
at the request of Representative
Charles ]. Martin of Orange. in which
town a $250.000 sewer system is now
being built.
The bill applies also to the disposal
of waste from factories into ponds and
rivers.
This bill is accepted as a step to-
wards the prevention of the pollution
of rivers and harbors 1t was drawn
along lines recommended by the com
mission raised by an act passed by the
legislature of 1918.
One amendment passed would make
the bill effective January l, 1916. be-
cause of the fact that East Hartford
has a contract under way which can
not be completed before the end of the
year and a law effective with the SEES
sion laws would have interfered with
that contract.
The bill as modified was adopted
without opposition. 1t would give the
state board of health power to pass
upon the disposal of sewage from sys-
TENS hereafter built, and no increase
in the volume of pollution of tidal
and inland waters is to be permitted
without sanction of the state board
Any order the board may issue may be
reviewed by the superior court, and
sewer systems now in operation are
not to be interfered with. although the
state board may have oversight over
the continued pollution of streams.
definition of sewage" is given as
human and animal excretions and
wastes which are detrimental to the
public health
DIR. Griswold in explaining the bill
said that Connecticut was up against
a proposition which sooner or later
must be solved, that OF stopping the
pollution of its water courses. 1t will
be only short time before the people
will rise and demand that the pollution
| be stopped.
The house later passed a bill Civ
ing the school district of Westville
authority to build sewer system and
a disposal plant. The bill was passed
without debate. II had been planned
to connect this sewer onto the New
Haven sewer system. Under the gen
eral pollution bill just passed, in order
to do this Westyille will probably now
have to secure the sanction of the
state board of health.
The committee on education report
ed in the senate favorably on the re
peal of a special high school tuition
grant for the Westville district of New
Haven. The committee had previous
ly made a favorable report on the bill
but it was recommitted in order tc
give Westville people hearing. This
repeal will take about $4,000 away
from Westville this year.
The shellfsh committee reported to
the house bill allowing the governor
the work of the oyster police, they IL
be paid by the oyster growers.
The committee on finance reported &
bill to the senate concerning the leas
ing of shell fish grounds II pro
vides that the shell fish commission
may lease grounds at present known
as natural beds for terms of no more
than 10 years.
The house passed bill providing fol
/ tax of two cents a square foot on
billboard advertising in towns of more
than 10000 inhabitants and one cent
a square foot in towns of less than 10,
900.
Mr.. Chesbro of Windham opposed
the bill. He said the bill was hatch
ed by the magazines and fostered by
the press. He said it was unjust and
excessive taxation and was failure
to accomplish esthetic results. He
admitted personal interest in the
business.