New Britain herald., 1924-05-16
POLLUTION OF STREAMS.

Two days ago, in this city, con vcn,ion of master plumbers reported in favor of combined efforts to pre- vent the pollution of streams through tne introduction of various waste pro ducts from factories and otherwise. Yesterday a speaker before the Ro- tary club. who was also one of the master plumber delegates to the con- Nention. gave a talk which, while 1t did not involve the pollution Of streams. had as central theme q version of the old adage, "Cleanincss Is Next to Godincss."
 Pollution is. or should be, partic- ularly pertinent matter to residents oI New England although few stop to think of the effect upon themselves of the pollution Of the streams that sur round them. People. generally. arc blind 70 matters that have not definite. tangible and immediate ef- feet upon themaclves or their families. The average human is so intensely bound up in self that anything lacking a direct effect, which is easily traced is promptly ignored Yet it is 10 peo- pie of today that the coming genera ton must look for enjoyment, health, and even life, We owe, 10 those who will follow into this vale of tears every effort to make the earth mere liveable, exist ence happier, Our facil- ities for pleasure and health must be conserved and passed down in as good if not better shape than they were when our generation inherited them. That is public trust and if is not fit that the public should pass by with a careless shrug efforts to improve our natural resources.
 From many a little stream, which wound it's way along a grassy meadow few years ago, there now flows into the greater rivers blend of poisons to fish and often vegetable life, poi sons introduced by a factory built up on its banks. Where once were hedges and fern grown banks there is baked and naked earth. Where once the bird sang in the cat-tails that bounded . it the slmy snail lives among col | lection of tin cans That is wei enough, the snail and the tin car along tho bank, unsightly though 1 they may be, are as nothing compared | 10 the pollution that exists in tht waters of the stream itself and which may not even be visible, Reaching l tho main river which drains into th' ! sea the stream combines with others some Of them just as poison, others 1 possibly clear. But the accumulation of poisons is enough. The efforts o the people along the clear stream have ayailed nothing, there Is enougl | both and more. Fish life is discour aged in the main riyer the soa-rul fish die off or get one taste of pollu ton and never come back. Even ia into the waters of inc sea inc poiso
 spreads and kills of. or drives awa tish life. Witness the shad fishing | the Connecticut River and the woe fully small catches that result todd as compared with a few years ago.
 This does not concern us, you sal Possibly not, but it should. Every thing that tends 10 destroy life am happiness on the face Of the cart should concern us, by the domonstra ton Of that concern we should hal that which is going 10 grie,ously af feet our children. There have bee about 500 fishing licenses issued | the city Of New Britain since the firs day Of the open season about a mont abd a half ago. As the summer pro gresses there will be many more. so
 men, at least, are concerned in keep ing tho streams pure in order that the may have pleasure cut t-of-doors wher God in his wisdom originally locate man. We may. in our factory and on shop. earn sufficient funds 10 aid i
 fitting our coming generation for ih
 battle Of life. We strive, we labor, V worry and we plan--all for Inc sal,
 Of those who are to come. We botht , much with the concrete, why not cor cern ourselves a trifle with the al
 stract?
 
 You cant judge by appearance
 Oil cans are sq Igre.