Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-07-23

ond Of q series of articles on State
Resources being written by Mr.. Lie
ber.l
BY RICHARD LIEBER,
Director Indiana Department of Con-
servatIon.
Existing laws against contamination Of
streams and rivers are inadequate and in
prosecution almost unenfOrceable.
In providing new laws it is essential
20 guard against the danger of framing
them too drastic, for we have a great
deal to give and take, as can be found
in the experience Of other States both in
this and the old countries.
There are always two conflicting in
terests that must be carefully cOnsid
cred From the viewpoint expressed by
officials OF the fish and game division
= OF the State conservation department,
stream purity is paramount because
aquatic life therein is dependent upon
such a condition.
But absolute stream purity is not al
ways possible when We consider the in
dustrial needs of the State. for then the
cardinal interest presented IS the never
ending problem OF preserving and in
creasing the quantity Of our water re-
sources.
It IS a welI-known adage that "neces-
this connection it appears permissible
to point out that in the process of man
ufacturing many undOut tedly valuable
substances are discharged into public
streams In Indiana for want Of better
way Of disposal. In fact, wastes from
industrial plants are one of the chief
sources of stream pollution in Indiana
today.
WASTE PRODUCTS
WILL DECREASE.
However, it is the history OF industry
that as time goes on the amount OF waste
products are constantly decreasing. Uti-
lizatiOn of waste has become a matter of
Industrial preservation in the present
sharp competition as we'll as a sanitary
necessity. The time is not long past
when the removal of pea vines was a sea
sonal difficult problem. Today this same
material forms a valuable material for
feed and is easily and probably disposed
D.
The methods Of an up-to-dste abattoir
have become proverbial as "using every
thing but the squeaI" and yet there was
a time not so far removed when cOndi-
tions were vastly different In this con
. nectiOn the story IS recalled that there
was once a great fire near the river in
indianapolis The volunteer fire depart
ment appeared and rendered valiant serv-
ice until suddenly the solitary engine
went ont OF commission An investiga
ton disclosed that the water supply
coming from the river had carried with
It some foreign substance and before
the energetic fire-ighters could proceed
they were forced to remove from the noz-
zle a collection OF pigtails.
OF course, this was many years ago
and the city was in its infancy. The
population was not large, consequently
a few thousand pigtaiIs more or less did
not make very much difference either
toward stream contamination nor the h /
C. Of I. Where there was one packing (
house OF taunery or wooden mill TO dump /
refuse into a stream there were many
miles Of intervening water capable OF
cleansing and purifying itself Of any ad
ventitious matter dumped into it. Like
wise there was considerable more water
LOTS OF FISH
ONCE N STREAM.
Half n century ago our Indiana streams
abounded in fish. They were a chief ar
ticIe Of diet Now fish are so scarce it
is prohibited to catch them for market
PURPOSES. Their use on our tables in
proportion to other food is very limited.
Denser population with pollution are the
causes of this aquatic shortage.
Extensive catching is thoroughly
prosecuted and practically controlled.
Pollution, as yet, remains to be cor
rected.
The two causes also differ largely in
their effect. Removal Of fish by catch
ing is a temporary effect and binders
but little the breeding and living con
ditions. Pollution not only destroys the
fish but affects the water so as to pre-
vent further pr0paEa ton Of aquatic life
We are all guilty aud under the pressure
and need Of reconstruction and economic
conditions. must take a survey OF the
situation and accept a mode Of action
which is economically logical and true
to the best interests Of all
1t has long since become unlawful and
insanitary to use the public highways as
= depository of garbage and filth. for it
is unsanitary, crude and wasteful Yet,
we continue to use the streams and wa
terways as a runoff for sewage and
manufacturing offal TO the detriment of
public health and consequent loss of
much valuable material We must come
to follow the example Of our Old World
neighbors, where stream pollution has
practically been eliminated and factory
waste has all but disappeared. Through
utilization Of these sO-called wastes we
must make up for the stupendous losses
entailed during the World War.
SMOKE NUISANCE
N SAME CLASS.
The pollution Of waterways has its
counterpart in the smoke nuisance Of
the larger cities. The laws made against
either are much the same character and
the enforcement Is generally directed in
the helplessness Of the situation against
few guilty individuals. We lose sight
Of the fact that the effect is entirely
Scadcmic.
The smoke nuisance In a city has as
its guilty contributors, such as railroads,
factories and office buildings. but we
: find that the chimneys of the school
houses, churches and of every house
holder smoke just as badly, and where
their number is very great their con-
tribution cannot be light in proportion.
Considerable Of this argument holds
good with regard to stream pollution.
If we possessed only one cannery in one
county, one sugar factory in another, and
a tannery fin the third, the stream itself
wouldn't fare so bad. But the facts are
that population is becoming denser, fac
tories along streams have multiplied cit
of them using the public water courses
as public sewers. And while industrial
wastes form a major portion Of the pol
luton I'm Indiana streams, the domestic
wastes. even individuals who use the
are also largely responsible for the hOr
rible condition Of many Of our streams
and rivers.
Nuncie makes use of White river as
sewer and Anderson, below, is depend