Daily Kennebec journal., 1919-12-20

N0O"OUoS SoPsS0s OssS
Of its Health Measures, But Makes
Drastic Recommendations Looking
to Better Equipment. in Fight
Aaainst Dirt and Disease
A comprehensive health survey OF
Augusta, made by Alton S. Pope DIS
trict health officer Of the State De-
partment of Health for Kennebec and
Somerset counties, previous to his re-
cent appointment and under the su-
pervision Of DR.. L. D. Bristol. State
commissioner Of health. commends
the city in respect to several OF its
progressive health measures, OUT
makes some drastic Recommendations
which if followed out, will equip this
community splendidly for the fight
against dirt and disease.
Prominent among the recommeno'
ations is that Of instituting here
regular municipal system of garbage
collection, preferably OF the type
where the garbage is consumed oy
hogs. Augusta could thus dispose OF
its garbage to city owned hogs. kept
on the outskirts Of the city. at rea-
sonable expense. for the hogs when
killed and sold for pork, would ap-
proach in profits, the expenditures OF
collection. According to Mr.. Pope,
this method has been tried In several
larger cities. with satisfactory re-
suits. He suggests. however, that II
the city did not wish to undertake
the municipal ownership of such
hogs, contracts might be made with
individual farmers for the collection
and disposal Of garbage. Other waste
material could of course be collected
and burned or used for filling in land,
as it's nature might permit.
While Augustus meat supply
comes largely from the West and is
accordingly inspected by federal
authorities, such meat as comes from
local centers is far from sanitarily
raised, butchered, and cared for. For
this reason, q recommendation is
made by Mr.. Pope, that municipal
slaughter house for local cattle be
maintained, and meat inspector.
who shall at the same time be milk
inspector be appointed.
Concerning the milk inspector, the
survey recommends that the city en-
ploy a man at a sufficient salary so
that he can properly inspect the
dairies. the cattle and the milk which
Augusta is using. The city's milk
supply is entirely local, 70 dealers
being licensed by the Department of
Agriculture. about half of whom are
farmers, and the other half are gro
GERS, the former delivering their milk
| direct to the consumer. The quality
of the milk stands high among that
used by other Maine cities in fat
and total solids but except for visible
| uncleanliness, there is no test; for
! the inspector under the present ad-
ministration. has neither time nor
equipment to make it. Further con-
| cernlng the milk situation here, the
recommendation is made that either
the city, or some one firm take over
the delivery to consumers of all the
milk, such a municipal or private
milk plant having equipment for the
pasteurization Of the milk. It is stat
ed in the survey that such plan has
already been talked over among local
milkmen and is favored by the ma
jority Of them.
Dental inspection Of school children
is one of the features of the school
health administration in Augusta and
| has resulted in marked improvement
OF the teeth of the city's boys and
girls. In the past six years the per-
centage Of children with defective
teeth has been decreased from 77.2A
to $500. Parents Of course are no.
titled of the results of such inspection
but this does not help those children
whose parents are too poor to afford
paid dental treatment. Mr.. Pope ac-
cordingly recommends that a dental
clinic be established here. probably at
one OF the rooms Of the Augusta
Health Center. and after talking with
local dentists has learned that sew
eral Of them favor the plan, once
equipment for conducting the work
has been provided.
Entirely commendatory 10 Mr..
Pope's report Of the Augusta water
district. He says that the water sup
ply. obtained from Carleton Pond is
excellent, and in view Of it's Uniform
ly safe and satisfactory quality,
deems any publication unnecessary.
The average daily consumption of
water here for the past year was g.
06S.3o1 gallons a day, or 140 gallons
daily for each person Of the city's
1895 population. The Devine spring
water system which is still in use in
some quarters. also furnishes excel
lent water.
The sewerage problem Of Augusta,
is much simplified by the topography
Of the city. the sharp rise Of land on
both banks Of the river, making it
easy to construct and keep clear
sewers in every section. The dilu-
tion Of sewage in the waters of the
Kennebec. Is most satisfactory except
that in some parts of the city, the
sewage pipes empty into the river, so
close to the rear Of buildings, that
especially in low tide. 1t is very OBJ
jectionable.
To Offset this nuisance. the city
could at slight cost extend the sew
& pe outfaIls 40 feet hevond lou xvat