Newark post. (Newark, Del.) 1910-1969, 1916-08-23
PEOPLES COLUMN
Live Up To What You Know


Mr.. Editor:
| was present at joint meeting
of Town Council, Board of Health,
and interested citizens of Newark, |
called to discuss it's sanitary con
ditions, the probable causes Of the
prevalence of typhoid fever, and |
the measures necessary to be
taken to restore the town to "A
mole healthy condition.. was
glad to note that our people are
at last awakening to the fact that
Newark is sick and needs an eff
fective remedy, and now that we
know it, | believe the remedy will
5oon be found and applied. After
little consideration | feel that |
would like to make a few COM
ments, supplementing the more or
| less Indifferent remarks made by
me on the floor of the Council
chamber.
| think some good will result
from this open discussion Of the
situation, it will arouse an indi-
vidual sense of responsibility, It
will develop a missionary or CO.
operative spirit in some, which
will be helpful to the Board Of
Health, and it will, or should, be
cause of the sympathy manifested
CT ll+ .
this body to a more active and ar.
gressive campaign. For after all
the citizens of this town are r.
lying upon the skillful work Of
the Board of Health supported by
authority Of Council and lows Ot
the state, to discover the breeding
3, places of this disease and destroy
them. This dependence was evil
denced by the fact that of those
who spoke last nihgt, not one had
definite and we'll thought out
line of action to offer. The sug-
. gestions, while many were good,
were fragmentary and tentative,
showing a passive state on the
part of laymen and belief that
our official bodies were doing al!
that could be done and more than
we could do. Apparently we at
tended this meeting more to hear
than to speak; more to receive
than to offer.
Now gentlemen of Board of
t Health, you are capable to an I'M
f usual degree, trained to analyzc
and diagnose; to lay bare just
: such hidden forms of bacterial
life as we are now trying to com
! bat. You know the medium best
j adapted to develop the ccltures
c. Men come froma distance to seek
your advice and help. Some col
, lege faculty has endorsed you; the
= state of Delaware has set its sea.
| of approval upon you. Do we
} need more? | doubt it. Will il
take a sanitary engineer to fine
, within our corporate limits OLE
; wooden or brick priveys still in
. use? No. Or to find partially
, open and nSOme cases overflow
r. ing cesspools? No. Will it take
: a sanitary engineer to find rice
{ and well-to-do homes still uncon.
/ nected with the sewer system after
, it has been in operation about &
. year? No. Will it take a sani.
! tary engineer to find a whole sec,
, ton of our town served by priv.
( eys, with open bitches, garbage
= rubbish, and other forms of filth
: No. Or where at times large
numbers of foreigners harbor at &
. pittance pc rhead and no sanitary
2 accommodations? No. Then VIII
e. spend $500 more or less to bring
6 a sanitary engineer here TO dis
: cover what is not hidden? If the
10 Boar def Health has not the powe,
. tC correct these evils, let Counci
= assemble in special meeting anc
= pass the necessary legislation. Il
; it has the power let it use without
fear or favor. Let Council in
Y stead of hiring sanitary engi
= nesr buy a pump and put in op
= Grafton the sewer up New Lon
= don Avenue. Take away all clos
cts in use or out of use. Enforc,
e I'll existing sanitary laws and il
a there are not enough pass others
! These conditions, | believe, are
D the reasons why our physician
= cannot break up the fever. One
= case could develop in our towr