Palatka daily news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1919-1994, 1922-11-17
NOT THE FRONT YARD.
RuT THE BACK YARD

Evry property owner should make
it rule to clean the rear of his
premises rather than the front; not
strictly for the sake of appearance,
but from a sanitary point and as
measure of safety. The factor of
safety may be easily recognized from
the manner in which fires starting in
any business building spread along
through the block; they do not spread
from the fronts, but from the rear,
where there may usually be found a
miscellaneous collection of boxes,
barrels, cartons, old paper and rags,
and trash of all descriptions.
1t is precisely such fires that are,
the most difficult to fight. There is
always a danger lurking somewhere
in the mess. Firemen hardly dare to
try to pass through the rubbish be-
cause of the dangerous nails and wire
and iron straps and bits of broken
glass; hence tn efire, is fought from
a distance and at a disadvantage.
That is why so large number Of
fires cannot be confined to the places
in which they originate. The fronts
of the buildings can be protected;
the way is clear; it is at the back
where the danger lies.
The same arguments may be used
regarding the residence section Of
town or city. The back yard is too
frequently a menace to health, as
we'll as an obstacle to the fire-fight-
ing force, when the time of danger is
at hand. If the back yards are kept
clean and neat and free from all rub
Dish no fire, however threatening,
will make much progress. Back
yards kept clean form no breeding
place for insects or vermin of any
sort; and rats which are sometimes
driven from water fronts will find
no place To build home. They will
pass up such places and seek quar-
ters where the accumulations are
more to their liking.
Some day may spring up a fire IN
some of the carelessly kept sections
of Palatka which will do a vast
amount of harm and give loss that
will reach high in figures; and while
there is occasionally expressed the
sentiment that at would be a good
thing if some of those sections could
be wiped out by real fire" no one
wishes such thing to come to pass.
There are better ways to rid the city
of buildings that are repulsive, that
have, outlived their usefulness, that
should yield space for buildings more
in keeping with the times and the
city.
The sanitary committee of the city
council should walk about the byways
and the bypaths of Palatka and note
the condition of some of the alleys,
and of some of the yards which lie
between the buildings and the alley
lines. Following the walk there
should be a general order given to
make the premises presentabIe. 1t
will do no good to call for Clean
I'D week." for it has been learned that
the owner who will not keep his prop
erty in a neat condition for his own
sake will not stress a point and clean
it at the request of the city council
or at the proclamation of the mayor
What is needed in such cases is an
emphatic order issued direct to the
party that is negligent.
Back yards may be found in this
city that have not been cleaned, prob
ably, for many years. At intervals
there have been spasmodic efforts to
~tidy up" the premises, but such et'
forts make a poor showing as
whole. They do not bring the desired
results. If each property owner woulc
see to it that the back yard was kept
as we'll conditioned as the front yarc
the entire city would be the gamer
As he will not do that upon his own
initiative it becomes the duty of the
city authorities to enforce, some rul'
ing that will bring results. Such
plan can be put in play-and it should
be done.
Let the front of the premises stanc
as they are until the rear is made
presnetable. Let the back yard sci
the standard for the front; then botf
sections of the premises will be II
pn.condition within a very short
sssST.The property owner will have
eEne Il. pride to make his front
naght than the premises in the
dR silencnss. why the rear section
arting an first to undergo the
sshty party G
wih be proseech conditions shall be