Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-12-29
FAR AFIELD FOR WATER
Philadelphia Needs Demand Avoid.
anee Of Stream Pollution and
Upper Delaware Is as Yet
Free From Contamination
BY GEORGE NOX MCCAIN

tercst to the future. It is the opinion of
experts that ultimately the city will ; be
compelled to go far afeld for its supply.
In this connection my friend William 4.
McCalcb, general superintendent of the
Pennsylvania Railroad Water Companies,
directs attention to the necessity of avoid
ing stream pollution in the state as an
equally vital problem
1t is question that has forced itself to
the front only during the last quarter of
century. and AS Mr. McCaleb points out
there are a number of streams i'll Pennsyl-
vania that have been rendered practically
useless through industrial and coal mining
pollution.
The coal mining pollution of streams is
confined largely to the western part of the
state where the Youghioghcny, Conemaugh
and Kskimnetas are fair samples: though
the Lehigh is an eastern sufferer in this
respect.
Industrial pollution is more difficult
proposition to contend with. and is certain
to increase. unless greater attention is given
to its prevention.
The upper Delaware is generally re
garded as the region from which Phila-
dclphia future water supply must come.
As yet its watershed has suffered but little.
if any, from pollution except such as might
be expected in n territory of that character,
As yet it is comparatively free from this
danger.
Mr.. Mctalcb directs attention to the
fact that the first act of assembly for the
protection Of water supply was passed in
1S2S to preserve the Paramount dam, which
supplied Philadelphia, from contamination
and pollution of its waters
II = GSMnNn haS Shinnp5 thnnca dc nf
W Philadclphians to Europe in the last
fifteen or eighteen years. It is his business
as one of the Philadelphia representatives
of a great transatlantic shipping corpor
alton. The world war put pretty bad
crimp in shipping activities. although bust
ness between here and European ports is
beginning to assume the position it occupied
prior to 1916.
Mr.. Osmond tells me there are two things
which initiate against the resumption of
transatlantic passenger traffic, the lack of
ships and the passport regulations. Every
passenger steamer that leaves American
shores for Europe carries its full complement
Of voyagcrs notwithstanding, and this will
be increased as fast as additional vessels
can be placed in the trade, and passport
regulations relaxed; particularly the latter.
Nobody much goes abroad nowadays ex-
cept business people, army or navy officers,
those engaged in after war relief movements
and aliens anxious to revisit their former
homes in the war zone.
Tourist and steamship agencies are ex-
ceedingly optimistic about the future and
are planning for a great rush as soon as
conditions Of travel on the ocean and abroad
reach the normal. This, he believes, will be
reached during midsummer of the coming
year.
''From the number of business men and
American representatives of manufacturers
and exporters who have been going abroad
in the last six months said Mr.. Osmond,
II have the impression that this country
is not going to be left when it comes to
picking up 4 big share of foreign business
We have never experienced anything like
it; though possibly this may be due to the
fact that it is so particularly noticeable
this year.
Mr., Osinond does not anticipate any re-
duction in the cost of ocean travel for
some time to come. Rates will remain about
as they are as long as the cost of transpor-
tation keeps up.
Thousands of foreigners who have lived
in this country during the war period have
gone abroad, but they are eager to return
and are writing their friends in this country
to stay here and not think of returning 70
their former homes, where conditions, made
so by the wdr, are almost intolerablc.
A B. ROSS, lawyer. publicist. who, dur
1 IL ing the operation of the federal food ad
ministration in Pennsylvania, established
curb markets in Philadelphia and over the
state, is having the time of his life destroy
ing some age old theories on the subject of
farm fertilization.
Mr.. Ross tells me, as the result of his in
vcstigaton, he has discovered that our entire
system of crop fertilization is at fault that
the loss in crop values and waste of fertilizer
amounts annually TO hundreds of millions
of dollars.
He has got farmers, agricultural expert
mental station managers and fertilizer
manufacturers all over the country in his
hair as a result of his publications on the
subject As he is gentleman of pro
found convictions this fact does not cause
him any worry.
1t is a condition. he says, which can be
easily remedied. 1t involves, however. a
complete reversal of present practices in the
manufacture and application of fertilizer
on the farm.
Under the present system, and both farm
ers and scientific agriculturists are to
blame, commercial fertilizers are applied
10 the soil on the theory that certain chemi-
cal ingredients are permanent in the soil
and that it is only necessary to add those
which crop rotation annually diminishcs
Thus, it is taken for granted that, as n
rule. there is a certain amount of potash
in the soil and it is only necessary to supply
other chemicals needed in the production of
crops.
This is an error. What vegetation needs
according to Mr.. Ross, is balanced ration
of chemical fertilizer without reference 10
soil ingredients, until such time as expert
encc and experiment necessarily indicate
changes,
1t is Mr.. Ross theory that vegetable life
is the same as animal life. That cows.
sheep horses, poultry and even the human
animal require Il balanced ration, aud so
do plants, vegetables and cereals.
Meantime Mr.. Ross is receiving lctters