Must Have Sewers

Ann Arbor now stands as the most beautiful city in Michigan, and, with one exception, offers better inducements as an educational and a residence center than any of its neighborg. That single exception, the one thing that Ann Arbor lacks, is a complete and thorough system of dispoBing of the refuse matter of the city. Ann Arbor is now comparatively healthy but how long it will continue to be so remains to be seen. The entire city is covered with a system of cesspools and privy vaults which cannot íail to contamínate the earth, the water and the air, thus producing disease. The Register has interviewed a number of our prominent citizens upon the qaestion of putting in a system of sewers, and gives these opinions below. Tne matter is one that Bhould be tboroughly investigated before a start is made, and we think that the common council, backed by public opinión as here given, would be justified in taking the matter under con6deration aid appointing a committee to investígate the subject. Here is what they say: MAYOR S. W. BEAKES. "This is the important question to which in my message to the council last May, I called their attention. I can only repeat in substance what I then said. No man can answer the question offhand. It needs careful investigation and the collection of a vast amount of data before an intelligent opinión can be given. Many systems of sewerage are worse than no system at all. A good system of eewerage in this city will cost a large amount of money, and speaking without definite knowledge, I doubt if $150,000 will build it. The great difficulty is to dispose of the sewage. I feel confident that in the summer, when the Huron river is the lowest, the river will not carry it off and the city would be liable to many damage suits from the farmers living on the river below the city, besides the noisome smells on the river banks might breed the disease we seek to avoid. Several times this last gummer 1 could have crossed the river, from stone to stone. without wetting my feet. There are other ways of disposing of sewage, but they are costly and need investigation. No doubt someihing should be done and that soon to preserve the health of our citizens. Two systems present themselvea, sewerage and a cumpulsory system of dry earth closets. Under the new charter the citizens can put in either they deem desirable. I confess that I am not in possession of sufficient information to decide between them. The dry earth closet system is to compel the use of 8uch closets by an appropriate ordinance and to have them cleaned as often as once a week by city scavenger?, paid by the citv, who ghall remove the boxes and replaée them with empty ones. It would not do to leave the emptying of the boxes to the citizens tbemselves. This would be a much cheaper system than sewerage and would keep us from getting deeply into debt. The question is would it work well. It has been put in operation and investigation would teil. If it does work, then it is the syttem I would favor above sewerage because the later would cost the city $10,000 to $12,000 a year besides the principal of the debt, and it is the policy of the city to keep the taxes in the luture as in the past lower than any other Michigan city. It is absoIutely necessary that Ann Arbor be kept as I believe it now is, a healthy city, and it is necessary that some steps be taken soon, as the growth of the city is already overtaxing the power of the fine bed of gravel upon which it is built to di.'pose of the waste matter." DR. GEO. E. FROTHINGHAM. " A complete sewer system is an absolute necessity here, and it is criminal for the city government to neglect their construction. The lives and health of the people are constantly exposed by the unsanitary condition of the town,which results from the want of them. If it is longer neglected the soil will becomeso extensively saturated by the filth which should be carried off in that way, that it will be a source of danger for many years even though sewers should afterwards be constructed. It would be like locking the stable after the horse is stolen. If they are constructed now they will save in disease, and even in money yalue, many times what they will cost. If it is neglected disease must prevail extensively, and the cost of the care of the sick, even if they recover, will be more than the cost of the sewers. If they are neglected, epidemics of typhoid fever, diphtheria and other diseases will prevail to such an xt nt as to créate a panic and dimimou u.e attendance at the university and other schools in this city. Citizens whose homes are here may be constrained, on this account to remain.even if thesanitary condition of the city is neglected., But students, who have no such tis to bind them here, will seek schools) ín cities where the sanitary conditions ar looked after and tUeir liv.es not thus jeopardi zed-. If se wers are "coikstifociod everybptly should be obliged to connect with them and not be allowed to continue the cesspool and jprivy vault system to the detriment of the health of their neighbors. While the construc'tion of sewers is, perhaps, the greatest neel, the enforcement of oth,er sániíary measures, is absolutely necessary to renderthis city a.deairable place of aböde. lAnfefficient.health ofti oei shjouM be era-"ployed toó'iiforcë theTOtrioval of all' nuisances. Thisshquldhe dpnesystem atically,] by door-to-door ihspection of .Ti !II1 : tbe preinises of every fatnily in the city. lf atables are allowed within the city limits, either for cows or horses, a city scavenger should be employed to remove daily everything offensive about them. A health officer should be employed who will do his duty, who will be protected by the citizens and not be in fear of losing his position if he should offend some member of a political ring, in the discharge of his duties. This has been one of the greatest drawbacks to the efficiënt administration of health laws in every city. Not long ago there went from this city a most fearless and efficiënt man to take the position of health officer in one of the largest cities of this state. It wasn't very long before the very honesty and efficiency of his labors lost him his place, and one who regarded the wishes and interests of thoae in favor more than he did the welfare of the community was put in his place." JOK T. JACOBS. ," I am in favor of sewerage in Ann Arbor at any cost. We must have sewers or the city will be unhealthy in a few years. There is no comparison between a few thousand dollars and the health of our citizens. They can't get sewers any too quick, for two reasons: lst, the health of the city demands sewers; 2d, the work of putting in sewers will give work to a large number of our laborers. It a thorough system of sewers was put in Ann Arbor it would induce large numbers to move to this city and make it their home for the purpose of educating their families. Ann Arbor, with an adequate system of sewers, would be one of the most healthy as well as one of the most beautiful cities in the country. Think it would be better for the city to build the sewers than to have it done by private enterprise. Long term bonds could be floated at a low rate of interest, and would be sought alter by capitalists." G. FRANK ALLMENDINGER. "We must dispose of the refuse by some method but I think that to cover the city with sewers will be both difficult and expensive. One great difficulty will be to get a place to empty the sewera. The idea of dutnpiDg the sewerage of this town into the sluggish Huron would not seem practicable to me when the population in creases, as it seems the stenen would beoome unbearable, and would be a source of disease, to the places below us on the river. To invest $150,000 in sewers and then be eojoined from dumping the refuse into the river would not pay. My idea is that the matter ought to be investigated and that from $1,000 to $2,000 should be set aside to pay for this before a start is made. I am in favor of some method of taking care of the sewerage of the city, but I want to see an improved system put in, a systein_that will not give us trouble in the future." CHARLES E. HItCOOK. "I would be in favor of a sewerage system here if it could be put in at a reasonable cost. My idea of those things has always been that they cost too much. I hardly think that it would be desirable to place the city $200,000. in debt, even for so worthy an object as sewerage. In a number of cities of the country, p'ivate corporations have taken the matter in charge and built the sewers. This plan seems to be the most satisfactory to me, as by this method Ann Arbor could continue the policy that has been carried out here in the past, of keeping the city free from debt. If bonds were to be is;ued by the city to build the system, they would have to run from 20 to 30 years in order to float them at a low rate of interest." LEONHARD GRUNER. "I think a system of sewerage in Ann Arbor is necessary for the future welfare of the city and I would be in favor of it after a careful investigation, regarding system and cost had been made. There is no question but that sewerage would improve the general health of our citizens. One thing we must do if the city enters into this, we must look well to the matter in advance. I should be in favor of bonding the city for a reasonable or even a large amount in order to accomplish this. I have no idea what a system of sewerage would cost in Ann Arbor, but I think we need it at any reasonable cost." DK. 0. G. DARLING. "Sewers might improve the sanitary condition if put in properly, but I believe that there are better means of getting rid of the refuse than by sewers. The present mothod by which many new buildings in this city are getting rid of the sewerage, by cesspools and covered vault, is better for this city than any sewerage system it will be likely to have. Cesspools and vaults take no part in producing typhoid fever and kindred diseases any more than sewers would. Cesspools would probably contamínate the watei and produce disease if we drank well water." TROF. H. S CARIIART. "Ann Arbor is away behind the time by Bot having sewers. We are paying almoet as much to bu-.ld Císs-pools and replenish them as it would cost to build sewers. With the elevations about Ann Arbor, it does not appear as thought it would be very ejepensive, tfi put in a system of sewerage here. : Mach smaller sewers could be put in here than could be used itl a'm'pre te,vel cóiintr; jFor the health of the city, I think sewers an absolute necéssity in Aun Albor." JODGË W) D.: HÍRRIMAN. "Anti Arbor ouht tö have a system oí sewerage, and it is only a ques'ion of time when it will beoome a public ' sjty, Our soil has be,conie so saturated with eewage and filth that all our wells have become oohtaminated, thé water daagerous for use and a constant menace to the health of the people. Under the present charter the work will have to be böilt by'thè city, hs tHe ioudcibhas no authority to graut a franchise to private corporations tö build sewers." CHRISTIAN MACK. "I suppose that we ought to have sewers and they wil] be a necessity within a few years. The people here will soon demand sewer ige and the question is how to do it and do it in the cheapest way ? I think better service can be giren if tbe system is put ia by the city, as a private corporation will only run sewers where it will pay them. I think that three or four per cent. bonds, running ten year?, would sell at a premium if issued by the city." J. 0. KNOWLTON. "I know we ought to have sewers. The health of the city demanda it. Think that they ought to be built right away, the sooner the better. Think tbat a complete systern of Bewerage should be put in, a Bystem that will cover the city so thoroughly that every taxpayer will have the use and benefit of it. I think the system ghou'd be put in and maintained by the city." MOSKS SEABOLT. " I don't think that we need any sewera and am not in favor of having them put in. Think the natural drainage here is good enough. Dou't think that it would improve the health of the citizens. Ann Arbor is as healthy a town as any I know of. Think this health business is a farce. We have a well within löfeetofa vault and nobody is ever sick from the effects of it." T. J. KKICH. "No one can deny but that we need sewers here. The matter is one that we should move slow in and investígate throughly before doing anything. I think that we need sewers in the business part of the city now, and thea gradually increase the system." CHARLES H. WORDEN. "I have not investigated the subject at all but if it is decided that sewerage is needed in Ann Arbor, I am willing to stand my share of the expense without growling. I am pretty well fixed at my own residence for the present, 8nd have no use for it myself."