The broad ax., 1919-08-16
,UBLIc COMFORT STATIONS.

/ the oniy HlOuehh country winch
tsrOvs the burden of providing public
,,mfort stations upon private initial
i've
This conclusion is rendered after
the committee on health and medical
rsref had made an extended survey
Of sanitary conditions as relating to
railroads. This survey included invest
irstion of conditions at stations and
5spOts as well as matters of proper
drainage Of areas through which the
oads run, due to obstructed bitches
Lalg rights Of way, high culvert bot
toni !, moquito breeding holes and pits.
ras5OnsibIe for the spread of malaria
Infection, etc.
The committee also found that the
water closets in railway stations
.hrOughOut the country were, as a
rule in worse sanitary condition than
we're the lunch counters; and this
alone should indicate how bad they
are. As to the water closets, however.
the committees report says that in
many places they were so filthy as to
ransgress all rules of decency. And
Een in the large cities there was a
dsgraceful lack of the care and at
ts1tOn needed to keep toilet room fix
t1res in sanitary working condition.
As result of the work of the COM
nittee it is now drafting a set of sani-
zry rules and regulations for rail-
Oad stations, shops trains, etc. which
when completed, will be submitted to
the U. S. Public Health Service for
approval and adoption throughout the
country. The health officers, state and
nunicipal, will also be asked to COO
psrate to the end that a standardized
set Of rules for all such places may
Be posted and enforced, and which
vii do away with the many drastic
and oppressive regulations sought to
be enforced by local health authori-
ties.
While il is conceded that the install
latiOn and proper maintenance of ade-
quate toilet facilities in railroad sta
tons and depOts is a matter of public !
concern and COMFORT, yet the fact that |
the saloon is passing out of existence, !
should serve to emphasize the need for
more and conveniently assessible pu-
bic comfort stations not only in Chi
cagO, but in most, if not all of the
cites in the United States. In Chicago
he need is particularly acute and un-
less measures are taken for speedy
action, Will grow worse instead of bet
'sr At present the city has only five
public comfort stations in the loop,
no in the City Hall, two at the Public
Library and one at Market and Ma
ason Streets. There is, however, an
2hexpended balance of S142, 900 to-the
'edIt Of the public comfort station
-Ind, which now that all building re-
have been removed on ac-
'0nt Of war conditions, viii no doubt
+ used during the present year.
II
L men and women only understood
be vast benefits which they may now
sii'e from the applied use of santa
J science, they would be both ready
10 willing to avail themselves of
nat this modern science has to offer
ZEN almost without cost. The scient-
s have formulated the long list of G
'e'entable diseases and have told c
! now We may avoid them, but we
more their advise even though We
eept as true the things we should i
% keep US free from desease. t
1ne Wisconsin Legislature, among
aer health measures recently enact a
mas passed law requiring every r
1nclpality in the state to establish