The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1916-09-24
Present System of Collecting
Garbage Is Scored and
Change Recommended
PROPERTY OWNERS
HELD RESPONSIBLE
DR.. Cunningham COmmends City Com
mission for Effort to Relieve Cen
ditions With the Limited Means
at It's Disposal

Reports on more than 1900 homes in
epected by the women committees. who
conducted the recent crusade against
disease in the city were made to DR.. Scale
Harris, chairman of the citizens SANTA
ton committee yesterday afternoon at
the Tutwiler hotel. The chairman from
each committee was present and reported
individually on the work done by her
committee.
Mrs. ]. H. Wallace reported that more
than 500 homes and the premises around
them had been inspected by her commit
tee. She stated that in most instances
conditions were good, but in the negro
section, specially, conditions were very
insanitary and detrimental to the health
of the city.
Practically the same report was made
by the committees headed by Mrs. W.
F. Motion, Mrs. Richard Fell. Mrs Frank
Eanes. Mrs Wood, Mrs. ]. w. B. Cham
bers, and others.
In speaking of the report, DR.. Harris
said: zone thing l notice to be general
in the reports and that is the lack of
property owners in complying with the
city sanitation laws. 1t was shown that
tenants were anxious for the nvestiga-
ton and received the committees into
their homes, but that the property own
ers would not make the connections, or
cooperate in making the premises more
sanitary, therefore, it developed that the
property owners are the greatest often
ders we have"
GARBAGE COLLECTION
In some of the reports the city was
scored for not collecting the garbage reg
ulary, or having the proper manner of
collecting it. 1t was claimed that in
many instances persons had shown re-
ceipts where the tax for cleaning the dry
closets had been paid, but no service
had been given, and insanitary conditions
developed from this cause. Changes are
Recommended.
The meeting was favored by a health
speech by DIR. II. S. Ward who told them
some of the insanitary conditions exist
ing in Birmingham, stating that certain
conditions in Birmingham were worse
than those found in the Philippines. He
held up Tuscaloosa as an example for
Birmingham to copy after in sanitation
work. He stated that Tuscaloosa only
had two insanitary closets, and that those
would be eliminated shortly, and that
all closets within a radius of three miles
of the city were required to be kept sani-
tary.
DIR. r. NJ. Cunningham, former city
health officer, highly commended the city
commissions for the work they had done
to eliminate insanitary conditions, saying
that they had done ali anyone could do
with the limited means they had, and
that what they needed to further per-
feet these conditions was more money
with which to do it.
A letter from Commissioner ]. r. Horn
ady, addressed to DR.. Harris, was read
before the meeting Mr.. Hornady's letter
in part follows:
HORNADY's LETTER
a Of he i'm da
by the volunteers in the campaign re-
Gently conducted by your committee, 1
have received approximately $500 reports.
I have gone over these reports in person
and find that in the vast majority of
Instances no bad conditions are set forth |
The most frequent violation reported is
failure to have covered garbage cans.
I'VE all have cause for congratulat ions
over the magnificent results obtained in
our crusade against disease during the
past summer. AS DR.. Lumsden, the dis
tfnguished government expert observed,
the report made at this time Is one that
should be hung up in every home in the
city of Birmingham next to the sign,
God Bless Our Home
"You. physician. can grasp the
full significance of the figures for July
and August CT this year, compared to
the same months in 1915. In July, 1915, |
we had approximately 80 cases of ty-
phoid fever: in August we had over 1870. |
Here, you will note, is almost a three |
fold increase. In July, 1916, we started |
In with more than 400 cases of typhoid
fever. due to infected ice cream, while |
in August, 1916, we had only SO cases, |
OF a reduction of All per cent.
Il do not suppose there has ever been |
q more striking exhibition of efficiency |
In meeting a critical situation and all who |
had part in that great work have a right |
70 feel that they rendered a highly valu
able service to the community. The |
campaign which brought about this hap
py condition also had the effect of re- |