New Britain herald., 1919-03-11
HEALTH DEPT. WARNS SIDEWALK SWEEPERS
Wants City Ordinance Govern-
 ing This Strictly Observed

The health department of this city
 IS doing everything in it's power to
 better health conditions in general i'll the city and to this end it has been waging q campaign against careless ness which is blamed for more than one-half of the sickness of the present day
 } For some time past there has been a number of complaints because of merchants and others in the center of \ the city sweeping the walks in front of their places during hours which areScontrary to city ordinances and are dan gerous to the health of the city.
 As q matter of fact there is a city ordinance now which makes it neces- sary to have the walk sprinkled with A water or moist with sawdust or some other moistening substance before the sweeping is done. The ordinance A is not lived up to very carefully and this is attributed to carelessness. Tho s same ordinance also states the hours of the day during which the side walks can be swept and makes cer- tain hours for streets directly in the center. The ordinance pertaining to the matter of sweeping and dustlng  Sec. 375. Regulations of sweep ing and dusting public places. It shall be unlawful for any person with in the limits of the city to sweep or to cause or permit the sweeping of any public conveyance, the floor of any public building, hotel, hospital, store, shop, school church or theater without having sprinkled the place to be swept with water, moist saWdust \ or some such substance in sufficient quantity to prevent the raising of dust while sweeping.
 Tt shall be unlawful for any per son to sweep or wash, or cause or pe@mit the sweeping or washing of \ sidewalks on week days between the hours of 6:3O A. NJ. and 6:30 F. M, s except between the hours of z A. M. R and A. M. and between the hours of P. M. and 6:30 A. M. in the center of the city"
 The health department is interested N in the matter not only because so g"many complaints have been re- ceivsd by the superintendent of N health but also because of the fact that sweeping the sidewalks dry and 2 during a time when there are many people on the streets makes it very
 
 the present time there are quite a S few cases of measles in the city. This A is a communicable disease and the germs are very susceptible. The same S is bhe case with conjunctivitis or ''pink eye'' which is also very catch ing The way in which the influenza spread in the city is also well known. The mere matter of sweeping a side walk would not occur to many as a chance to spread disease. It has proved itself a danger for the germs of disease are swept into the air and passing pedestrians in n. passingolbo passing pedestrians breathe in the air & laden with the germs. Many cases of # disease could be blamed to this one AA little cause.
 @ The health department asks the M people in the center of the city and N others also to take great care in the M "wcoping Of sidewalks and to have M thera sprinl1led or at least moist in @ crder to help the health of the city M The city is going to become one of M the best in health matters and general BS cooperation is the way to attain that @ end.