The Washington herald., 1917-09-15
EATS SERVERS
FACE ARREST
Health Department "Tast-
ers" Find BAD Food and
Warrants Are Out.

More than q dozen warrants are
now out for the proprietors Of res
taurants and soda fountains Of this
city. and DR.. Fowler. acting chief
of the District Health Depart
ment. is in the midst of a vigorous
crusade to round up the offenders
and secure sanitary conditions In the
Capital City eating places Strong
complaints have been lodged with
the authorities against alleged Of
tenders OF the "sterilizing" law
which requires . strict cleansing
of plates. glasses and other table
ware. Many of the charges are
brought by strangers in the city
who demand the protection which
the home people deserve as well.
Glasses are unclean. food is un-
clean. food is sold In an uncleanly
manner. even the rooms in which
IL Is sold are unclean. warrants
sworn out yesterday by the Health
Department authorities show.
The charges made come as q ell
max to an aggressive civic better
ment campaign being carried on
quietly by the District Health De-
partment in an effort to make eat
INK CO1QlLlOu8 DsLlcE lhC Nhod-
sands of strangers in Washington
who are forced to rely on restau-
rants and lunch rooms for their
daily meals.
Many Complaints Brought.
First to be called to the attention
Of the Health Department in the
campaign for better eating conditions
were the soda fountains and other
soft-drink establishments and sa-
looms This was back as early as
the fall OF 1916.
A quiet investigation was begun.
Rather than have the proprietors
work new glasses on them. or tell
the agents that the glasses examined
were not intended for use. samples
OF carbonated water were bought. by
the glass, through Health Depart
ment agents.
Health Department men claim that
Potomac river water treated as II
Is by the city, should contain no
germs when served across a counter.
The carboration Of the water does
not add germs. experiments show.
The germs had TO come from the
Find Germs by Analysis.
The results were terrifying.
In the samples of water analVZHd
were found impurities of all kinds,
from plain dirt and grease" to
Bacillus Coli. the bacteria always
present In cases OF typhoid fever in
lection. Undoubtedly, the Health
Department men say, these germs
and dirt came from the glasses
themselves, and came from them be-
cause of improper washing. or en-
tire lack of washing.
The worst cases of infection came
from glasses in which water was
served during the rush" hours.
from to 7 in the late afternoon
and early evening. this time, 1t
was said yesterday, many of the
glasses used were not washed at all,
in the full sense of the word wash
ing" They were simply rinsed out
in cold water, placed bottom up and
allowed to drain until used for the
next customer.
CoekrOaches In Butter.
In many of the lunch rooms and
restaurants of the city conditions
found were truly appalling, as the
dozen or more warrants for arrest
signed by DR.. Fowler. acting chief
of the Health Department, in the
past two days show.
Cockroaches in the butter. wa
terbugs" crawling over the pies and
nSto every nook and corner in the
rooms. floor crevices laden with
filth OF every description, dirty
glasses, Ccups and mugs, unclean
plates and utensils, and even un-
clean walters were some Of the evils
found by Investigators.
In each case of extreme unclsan-
illness and violations of the health
laws, warrants were made out, with
the specific charges typed on them
and were signed by DR.. Fowler.
Durine the past week a great num-
tsF rl Iese warrants have been
served the past two days, more
chan r. zen owners have received
rho le warming to appear in court
.I.a. to ''unclean" charges.
rb- Ilth Department met every
cbs- offered with demonstra-
tons ring the point. Neverthe-
less law was appealed to the
rl-1u pners-and nothing fur
frrT ever done.