The broad ax., 1917-06-09
KEEP CHICKENS AT HOME.

Gardens are a fine thing in any COM
munity. So are chickens. But the two
do not seem to go well together. As
matter of fact, gardens can thrive
without chickens and chickens can
thrive without gardens. But when
chickens have access to gardens, the
gardens suffer.
This year more than any other for
many years past, the people of Chicago
are turning their attention to vacant
lot gardening. At the same time too,
keeping in mind the high price of eggs
and poultry for the last year, a great
many people in Chicago are starting
back yard poultry farms. And in or
der to give their chickens some chance
for air, exercise and run, the chicken
raisers are allowing their fowls to run
at large, much to the detriment and
devastation of nearby garden plots.
AS a result of this state of affairs,
the Department of Health is in receipt
of numerous complaints from the peo-
pie who have started vacant lot or
back yard gardens, that they are be-
ing overrun, devastated and destroyed
by their neighbours chickens. And
coupled with these complaints, as a
rule, is the query: "What are we to
doi The city has urged everybody to
plant gardens. But if we go to the
trouble of having soil plowed and then
we plant and cultivate the same, are
we doing this simply to feed our neigh
boris chickens or to provide something
in the way of table vegetables for our
own families7" Both the complaints
and queries are timely and well found
ed.
In answer to these inquiries the De-
partment of Health can do no better
than call attention to section 1867 of
the Municipal Code, which provides,
"that no person shall permit the run
ing at large within the limits of the
city, except within enclosed places on
private property, of poultry, chickens,
hens, turkeys, ducks, geese and other
like fowl; and the same is hereby de-
clared to be a common nuisance and
the same is hereby prohibited. The
penalty for a violation of this section
of the Code is a fine of not more than
$1,000 for each offense.
There cen be no question that it is
neither fair nor neighborly for any
citizen to permit his fowls or poultry
of any description to destroy a neigh
boris property. Of course, there may
be ways of dealing with this question,
based upon individual initiative other
than that suggested by the section of
the Code, above quoted. 1t is perfectly
clear that the proper way for the ag-
grieved garden owner is to complain
to the city authorities and have the
offending chicken owner hailed into
court and be compelled to comply with
the law. Of course, it is understood
that a procedure of this kind is likely
to be much delayed and long drawn
out; pending a decision, the garden
spot so infested may be utterly ruined
or the garden products ripened, gath
cred and disposed of before the courts
would reach final adjudication.
The chicken and garden question
seems to be a good deal like the shak-
ing and beating of rugs on back porch
es. The real, practical solution of it
lies in proper neighborly spirit of re-
framing from doing the things that
would harm your neighbor; in seeing
to it that your neighbors on either side
should have no cause to complain of
your doing the things that do them
harm. 1t is certainly fact that where
gardens grow and chickens have ac-
cess, the chickens will scratch and
play sad havoc with garden products.
It is none the less true that people who
have chickens should be protected in
their rights, just the same as people
that have gardens should be protected
in theirs. There is, however, this diff
ference; the gardens cannot 60 to the
chickens, but the chickens, if turned
loose, certainly will 60 to the gardens;
for the reason that chickens know a
good thing when they see it.
SIX CoLoRED AMONG 200 DENTAL
npAnTATES