The public ledger., 1918-06-17
smaller timbers and less lumber, orig
mated in Texas shipyard.

mated in Texas shipyard.
The South is building ships, and its
shipyard enterprises is bringing new
standards of sanitation to many a
Southern town.
Uncle Sam steps in as soon as the
shipyard gets busy, looks into sani-
tation, and perhaps finds open privies,
pigs in the street, undrained swamp
lands and other bad conditions. I'm
til the new shipyard came, people in
that town hadn't thought much about
sanitation. When good sanitary prac-
tice is pointed out to them, however,
and its importance in building ships
explained, community spirit rises to
ship building spirit in every case, and
cleanup campaign begins.
Nor is it entirely in the Southern
towns that bad conditions are found.
One of the oldest communities in New
England, and a place of coniderable
population, was found to be without
health officer, have dangerous open
sewers, lack garbage collection, and
below good health standards in other
ways, When an old shipyard in that
town was rehabiltated, Uncle Sam
said, "Clean up" And the town re-
sponded.
The Pacific coast threw its energy
into shipbuilding to such goSd pur-
pose that it launched the first mer-
chant ships and made the first ship
building records. Likewise, in its
eagcrness to build ships, the Pacific
coast occasionally overlooked good
sanitation.
One yard in that locality was handi-
capped by sickness. Workmen were
hired only to quit, and during sim
gle week the superintendent of steel
construction, the foreman riveter and
the foreman of the plate shop were all
laid up in hospitals and their places
were being filled by assistants just re-
covering from attacks of disease.
"If this goes on much longer" said
the superintendent, 1--WE will have to
change our name from the Blank
Shipbuilding Company to the Blank
Sanitarium Investment Company"
Inspection showed that the yard
lacked sanitary toilets and equipment
for serving the men warm meals. II
had too small number of drinking
fountains and was inadequate | moth
er ways. Moreover, large city sew
er which ran over the fats neear the
shipyard was broken open, making
easy the spread of disease through
flies. The shipyard company had call
ed the attention of the nearby city
to the bad condition of its sewer, only
to be told that no city funds would
be available for repairing the break
until July. When Uncle Sam stepped
in through the Shipping Board, back
ed by the military authorities, who re.
fused to detail soldiers to guard thai
shipyard until the sewer was repair
ed, there was a hurried meeting o.
the City Council and special appro
Iriation of $4,000 to make repairs. i
took a special ordinance-but 1t wa:
done five days after Uncle Sam go
on the job.
In another ship building centel
there was a mysterious outbreak o
disease. Fifty ship workers CAM
down with II at the same time, will
temperatures running up to 103 o
more. There we're rumors OF poison
ing by German spies. When Ship
ping Board health officers investigate,
however. they found that mosquitoi
we're to blame, and took steps to drair
neaerby swamp land in cooperation
with the local authorities.
Mosquito work will probably pla,
as important a part In ship buildlnl
this summer. the country over. as I
did In the building OF the Panams
Canal. for many Of our new ship
yards are situated in mosquito infest.