What Ann Arbor Needs

The few warm, brigbt days of last week brought to the minds of our citizens the coming delights of May and June, when Ann Arbor and the surronnding country will be a paradise. With a healthy growth, and offering, as it does, unrivalled advantages as a place of residence, Ann Arbor ie a city of which it citizens can be proud. These advantages arise not only from the beauty of the city and its situation, but because of the presence here of the University, the greatest center of thonght and culture in the west. Whatever may be said in way of criticising Ann Arbor's sanitary condition can be eaid of nearly every city in Michigan ; so tbat what we sav of our city's defecto in that line must not be considered as disparaging. If Ann Arbor were perfect in that respect, it would be the most desirable place of residencc in the west, without an exception. Bnt typhoid íever and diphtheria have been on the increase in this city, as they have in other cities. We cannot prove this by giving statistics. Reliable statistics on the subject probably cannot be obtained. We are, however, informed by a leading physician of this city that such is the fact, and it accords with what a priori we should expect. No city can go on, year after year, depoeiting its filth in the soil on which it stands without having an increase in the death-rate due to those two diseases, or at. last ftom tplioid fever. The abandonment of wells undoubtedly does much good, and now the city should abandon the vanlt and cess-pool naieance. Almost every case of typhoid fever might bo prevented ; and diphtheria, as has bí.en amply demonstrated, can be greatiy restrioWd, Xyphoid fever will notbe stopped solong as the privy-vault and cess-pool are retained. The people must have a clean soil upon which they live, or some of them will suffer sickness and some of them will form a part of the soil before their proper time. Now, if the city does not feel ready to construct sewers, the vaults, or a part of them, can be condemned and the dryearth system adopted for a time. Thia dry-earth system, althongh not perfect, and requiring great care and some expense, is yet better and safer than the privy-vault nuisance. If carried on by the city,,it could be systematized and worked to the best advantage; and it would do very well for a few years till sewers were constructed. The common council would do a good thing by having some competent man report on the subject of a dry-earth system of dipposing of excreta.