El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-05-03
PUBLIC BATHS
WORTH MONEY

United States Officials Say
They Will Pay the
City Well.
awakening of pubic interest ant
a feeling Of responsibility for in
sanitary conditions which have exist.
ed in Ell Paso. along with the i'm
portant pioneer work already done
promise much for the betterment OF
our city If the momentum gained is
not lost" said DR.. T. c. Galloway. Of
the L. S. public'h health service.
Already considerable Improvement
I is apparent among our poorer popu-
lation since the passage of the tene-
ment and lodging house ordinances
and much more may be expected after
a little time for readjustment and the
building of new tenement houses al
ready under construction.
Baths Are Vital.
of vital importance now is the
providing Of bathing and laundry IA
cilities for the 10000 of FL Paso's in
! habitants who are without them. For
0
and deceucy without a chance to keep
himself and his clothes clean is al
most incOnceiveable. Yet probably
20 OF our population live under con-
dlt1ons which approach this.
1t IS scarcely surprising that under
these circumstances among a portion
OF our Inhabitants, disease is SO rife.
mortality is so high and sanitary
sense so little developed.
Danger From Vermin.
A recent investigation by the L.
= puolle health service showed that
in certain tenements 20 percent of the
occupants were louise infested. This
is not only situation which makes
possible an explosive outbreak Of
typhus at any time. but is IN index
OF flthiness from which the slimv
fingers Of disease may reach out 10
any home in the city
We talk OF curing tuberculosis in
our Sums. Of leSsening infant mortal
lty. OF stamping out typhus. Of ele-
waiting the self respect and moral
tone OF our poorer people as if these
were all distinct and separate prob
lens They are. however. all inter
dependent and their solution will de-
pend on raising together all sanitary
standards, on improving living con-
dltions as a whole.
Must Face Fundamental
We are too likely TO attack super-
1cilities and not fundamentals.
symptoms and not the disease. cur
methods are sometimes as logical as
II would be to try to put out Of action
a ~ cenumeter gun by gathering UP
Tt seems almost too obvious TO re-
quire discussion that Opportunities
for personal cleanliness must be pro-
Fldeo and the question resolves itself
20 one OF methods. Baths in fudi-
vidual tenement houses could not be
nit 10
water for laundry is necessary to ex-
terminate lice-withOut considerable
expense which the rent payers woufd
have TO bear.
Need OF Public Baths.
IN cold weather when baths are
and therefore little used Also some
provision would have to be made for
a considerable proportion Of the DOB
ulation who would not have access 10
such baths and regulation of indi-
yidual plants would be difficult
not reach the homes
An attractive municipal plant, COM
Portable in all weather, with hot
water for laundry purposes. II is es-
timated. could be built for from $1,000
to $4,000. The cost OF Operation ner
month would be around $500 but tn,s
might be materially reduced by
charging a small fee of those able
to pay and by the utilization OF the
fuel value OF garbage.
People Anxious For Baths.
There seems TO be no question that
such a plant would be literally nat
ronlzed, 10 judge by the enthusiastic
use OF similar ones throughout Mex
ico as reported by mayor Davis and
oners and the crowding OF the one at
Dallas At the Beall school in
IN three months with two showers
working 81 hour a day, 1000 baths
were given and the fight for a chance
10 get IN at times almost became a
1t must be remembered that the
providing Of such facilities is for the
betterment and the protection of the
whole community, that il is lust as
much OF public function as the COZ
lection Of garbage In all consider
alton Of the question the pride of the
people who are TO use the Institution
must be borne in mind and no stigma
or loea OF compulsion should attach
to it.
Would Reduce Death Rate.
With the measures already taken.
with such proposed plant in opera
ton, with the quickening Of sanitary
sense among our slum population, the
increased well being. the added self
respect Of these classes it is reason
able 10 hope that the death rate Of
FL Paso would be one of the lowest in
stead OF one of the highest and her
sanitary reputation would be on q
par With her name for progressive
ness Long other lines.
w have accepted alien elements
INTO share OF our institutions and
their character must enter into our
civic average. 1t is believed that
the greater benefits from these meas
ures which have been advocated,
would come from enhanced moral tone
ana from sociological considerations.
A Paying Institution.
THESE we can not reduce TO dol
lars and cents, but if we could cal
culate on an insurance basis, the
cost OF preventable sickness. death,
increased expenditures for the health
and police departments, loss Of work.
ing time and social Generalization
that occur and could calculate the i'm
prOvement that these proposals would
secure, there would be a big balance
on the side OF this Investment
Not alone for the elimination Of
typhus and other diseases locally are
these things urged but We owe Il as
a patriotic duty to protect the rest of
the nation and to safeguard the large
bodies OF men who Will be gathered to-
gether under the dangerous conditions
Of military camps.
Could Force Juarex to Clean In.
II FL PaSO puts her house in order
the public health service can insist,
by its authority TO prohibit all traffic
fror- Juarez. that that city be cleaned
up .And thus remove the constant men
ace from across the river
If the municipality shall be IN
willing to provide such an institution
then there will be provided a splen-
did opportunity for private philan-