Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-06-09
HEALTH COMMISSIONER
HAS FULL POWER.

HEALTH COMMISSIONER
HAS FULL POWER.
The long suffering artists in the afore-
mentioned case apparently did not know
this. Instead of appealing TO the power
full health commissioner. they attempted
to establish their rights as American citi-
zens to peaceful nocturnal slumber ac-
cording to methods suggested in the con-
stitution. They went to court But first
they sent notes of entreaty, politely
worded supplicatons for mercy te Mrs
Wilson. 1t was impossible TO call in the
aid of the landlord. There was no land
lord The house was comparatively
owned
Before the musical days of Mrs. Will
son. her apartment had been owned and
lived in by William Dean Howells. who
never did anything more noisy than to
use typewriter. Childe HasSam wore
padded heels in his apartment overhead
and moved his easels about on rubber
tired rollers. When any one Of the art
lists or writer's living in the house planned
to have late party he notified the SUI
perintendent, and the superintendent in
formed the neighbors. The neighbors
then planned their evenings accordingly: :
either they stayed at home and prepared
to endure the noise, or they went to the
club or to the theater 1t was most
satisfactory system. But William Dean
Howens died. His apartment was Sc
cured by the musical Mrs. Wilson. and
the old, considerate regime was ended.
When questioned concerning the VII
son case, Commissioner Copeland has
been noncommital. He refuses to state
how he would have settled it, had it been
referred to him, inaSmuch as all Of his in
formation had been obtained from the
published accounts in the newspapers
and not from the reports\ OF one of his
own Investigators He points out that
many Of the complaints against noise
received by the health department are
unreasOnable-that about one out Of
every ten refers to a single noisy in
stance, and not to a whole series Of
them. Yet his attitude is distinctly sym
pathetic toward the anti-noise crusaders.
New York" he declares, lis fast be
coming city of neuroticS because of the
unnecessary noises of automobiles ee-
waited trains, large trucks and continual
traffic, to say nothing of household
noises. We have the noisiest city in the
world.
The effect Of the noise on the nervous
system is as dangerous as any bodily
disease. The vitality is lowered by the
constant wear and tear of noise. The
health of the average person depends
upon his or her vitality and power to
throw off any disease. Nervous disorders
are as hard and sometimes harder, to
combat than some physical defects.
SOCIETY FORMED
TO COMBAT NOISES.
"A society has recently been formed to
do away with unnecessary noises-grind-
iu.r hral-aS
horns, loud motors. and other means of
disturbing the much-needed quiet ana
1t is Il work l heartily indorse. In facr,
believe it essential to the hea' tn of the
city,
While continuous noise is a very
great strain. sudden and intermittent
noises are much more dangerous to our
nervous systems. according to data ac-
cumulated by the AntiNoise Society. Of
which DR.. Copeland speaks. Each loud
and sudden noise" 1t says, produces a
distinct nerve shock and these shocks
often repeated cause a loss of nerve Vi
tally. Immunity from such noises can
never be attained, for the sound waves of
the air. thrown into violent action by a
loud and sudden vibration. strike phys
iCal blows upon the auditory nerve, and
a constant succession of such blows in
evitably Injuries and finally destroys the
delicate mechanism of the ear. Bells. !
whistles, gongs and the startling shriekS
of street vendors are. therefore, more
injurious to the health than the con
tinuous roar of elevated trains or the
whir of machinery"
Noise is regarded as particularly IA
tai to the person who does creative work !
or any mental work which requires deep !
builder or routine worker could endure /
the intermittent sound of blasting with
out marked effect, the sensitive nerves |
of a creative artist would suffer.
Years ago, Edmund Yeats. the Celtic |
poet wondered why America was making !
so small a contribution to the fine arts
Then he thought he had discovered the |
answer
Il stayed in an American town" he
said, where a railway train with a
changing bell went up and down the maih
street every hour of the day and night.
the arts await until some Apollo
shall rise and slap that python"
Charles Dickens was another cref i've
artist who found noise a great interior
ence to art. He not only found great
fault with the noise of America, but he
was constantly exasperated by the I'M
necessary nose-especially the noise oc-
casioned by street musicians-in his own
Finally he appealed to Parlia
ment on the subject. in an eloquent
memorial that was also signed by Ten
nyson, Millais, Holman, Hunt, Joseph
Leech, Wilkie Collins and Thomas Car
lyle.
Thus, 1t may be seen that the artists
who precipitated the existing noise con
roversy in New York are not without