Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-10-24
THURSDAY, OCTOBER u, i9l
Keeping the Streets Clean.

The serious and devastating visitation
Of Spanish influenza to our city, with ITS
appalling aftermath of deaths from pneu-
monia. has called renewed and imperative
attention to the necessity of thorough
sanitation, especially i'll respect of our
streets. 1t is conceded that dirty streets,
Uttered with germ-producing refuse, arc
q fruitful incentive 10 disease
Market street and King street have
claimed especial attention, as both arc
almost continually in q state that calls
for measures of cleanliness King street
in particular. because many market people
and huckstcrs and storekeepers dong
business there are IL the habit of throwing
considerable quantities Of rubbish, mainly
vegetable rubbish. into the street Market
street suffers from the cvil practice Of
sweeping quantities OF dirt and refuse
from stores out to the pavement and then
to the street
After an Investigation covering these
two streets President sparks OF the street
and Sewer Department declared the
''hlamc should he laid entirely ut the
doors of the market people and mer-
chants, who contribute 50 generously to
the accumulation Of dirt and rubbish.
There is no doubt Of the correctness Of
this conclusion
But why should such annoying and
evil practices be allowed? Every Evening
has called attention, upon more than one
occasion. TO the untidy practice OF sweep
ing store dirt and refuse into the streets,
and also to the recklessness and thought
lessness of the market people and Others
doing business on King street in littering
that thoroughfare in such disgusting and
shameless manner Reform should have
heen instituted long ago
The Street and Sewer Department has
ample authority in the premises. Its
grant from tho Legislature Of Delaware
clothes II with sole and exclusive juris
diction over the streets. lanes and alleys
of the city. from building line 10 building
line And this jurisdiction, following
protest that led to litigation. has been
confirmed and ndorsed by the highest
court Of our state The department may
enact and enforce regulations that will |
make the evil practices, long followed, of |
Gecklessiy throwing dirt and refuse on
city ->reet> offending4 against The law and |
punishable by fines
il Is said there is u law covering tins |
a,-,l IN "a nart ain avxfor+ b,y+ fins only |
makes the situation worse. For the haunt- |
ing of law always is an evil thing, and |
tends to bring all law into contempt.
We suggest that the members of the |
Street and Sewer Department, by CO. |
operation with the Police Department, at |
once inaugurate a campaign for clean |
streets. and carry it as far as existing local |
regulations will permit. Also. that they |
give a serious consideration to the subject, |
and if they find such action necessary, or |
even advisable. enact further legislation, |
10 cover the entire subject. Then, enforce |
the new regulation TO the limit
Such u program would no doubt en-
counter difficulty at first, but this should
make no difference Too long has the dis
gusting evil been tolerated. The streets
viii accumulate sufficient dirt and rub
bish in the ordinary progress of events,
and il is wrong TO allow these accuinu-
lations to be augmented by refuse matter
deliberately swept or thrown into the
streets
80 let us have speedy and complete
reform