pose a law similar to that of Massachusetts, where these same problems arose some years ago, and which the said law has satisfactorily solved. This law should make it unlawful to deposit sewage, factory wastes, or any polluted matter into streams or lakes, and it should provide that within a certain time that all cities and towns shall dispose of their sewage by well-proven methods known to sanitary science; and that all factories shall, within twelve months from the going into effect of the law, dispose of their wastes in a sanitary way. All of this has been repeatedly accomplished in other states. As cities and towns are continually making expensive mistakes in the matter of establishing public water supplies and in building sewers and drains, it seems wise to adopt the successful method pursued in Ohio, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and other states, to prevent such mistakes, with their consequent money loss and sanitary failure. This method is to require by statutes that all plans and specifications for public water supplies, and for sewers and drains, shall be submitted for the approval of the State Board of Health before the same may be constructed. For the State Board of Health to properly execute a law of this kind, controlling stream pollution, the water supplies and sewer construction, a sanitary engineering department would be required, and therefore, said law would necessarily create such department. There should be a competent sanitary engineer appointed by the State Board, and a proper appropriation given for the enforcement of the act. We believe a wise law of this character is absolutely necessary for the promotion of the welfare of the State, and would be an economic measure, and for these reasons we propose the same. We further believe that the protection of the lakes and streams from pollution-destruction is a subject which will not down, and the question about the matter is, Shall the State attend to it now, or do so after disease, death and pecuniary loss compel action? THE HEALTH LAW. The Health Law of Indiana was passed in 1891. It does not recognize the advances made in sanitary science since its enactment. For this reason it should be amended. A provision which greatly cripples the law is in regard to health officers. It does not provide that health officers shall be men who are informed in hygiene. Very few doctors have studied hygiene, and, therefore, the usual officer knows little or nothing of the science. In addition to this defect, officers are appointed for only one year and local authorities may pay such salaries as they deem proper. Not until only such persons are eligible to the place of health officer who have knowledge of the work, and not until the term of office is reasonably extended and the pay made-commensurate with the services performed, will the people be properly served. As the condition now exists, it is only rarely that good men seek the position. In many instances, persons unfitted for the work offer to fill the position for a small sum, and when accepted, they put the money in their pockets and do nothing. This way of doing is bad business, and it is not surprising that money is spent without return. Viewing the old health law of 1891 as a machine, it may be said that several old wheels and levers should be removed and new ones of new design substituted. We recommend these improvements as wise and of the utmost importance to the profit and to the business of the State. We most respectfully request that you give these recommendations as to improvement of health laws your careful consideration, and we hope they will secure your support and be recommended in your next message to the General Assembly. Approved by the State Board of Health and ordered transmitted to the Governor. FREDERICK A. TUCKER, President. J. N. HURTY, Secretary. SPECIAL MEETING INDIANA STATE BOAD OF HEALTH. November 16, 1906. CALLED TO CONSIDER AND PASS UPON THE MANUSCRIPT OF THE ANNUAL REPORT, AND TO ATTEND TO ANY OTHER BUSINESS THAT MIGHT BE PRESENTED. Called to order by President Davis at 2 p. m. Present: Drs. Davis, McCoy, Tucker, Hurty. Mr. Dowling, Deputy Attorney-General, presented the fact that the Huntington County Court had decided, in conjunction with many other issues, that the State Board did not have power to condemn unsanitary schoolhouses. Mr. Dowling recommended that the case be not appealed because of its many complications and that suit be brought for a mandate to enforce the order of condemnation made against the Polk township schoolhouse. He recommended that an order of the State Board be issued to the Huntington County Board of Health, commanding it to enforce the condemnation order, and supplied the following form: ORDER FOR CLOSING SCHOOLHOUSE. To the Board of Commissioners of Huntington County, Indiana: The State Board of Health of the State of Indiana, in regular session assembled in the city of Indianapolis, Marion county, Indiana, this 16th day of November, 1906, having inquired into the sanitary condition of a certain schoolhouse located in Polk township, Huntington county, Indiana, and known as school No. and having, after careful inspection of the same, determined that said building is a nuisance, and dangerous to the health and lives of the pupils attending thereat, that it is wholly unfit for use for school purposes, and that its defects and unsanitary features can not be corrected or removed and said building can not be placed in such a condition or repair as will render it safe for the said pupils to attend school in the same. Now, therefore, you, as constituting a Board of Health, ex officio, for said county of Huntington, are, according to law, hereby ordered and directed by the State Board of Health of Indiana to close said schoolhouse forthwith for all school purposes, and to forbid and prevent the further holding of school sessions, and the attendance and instruction of pupils, in said building. You are directed to enforce the above requirements by all proper and legal means. All of which is hereby ordered by the State Board of Health of Indiana, the year and day above written. Attest: By Secretary. President. After full discussion, the recommendations of Mr. Dowling were adopted, and the Secretary was ordered to make out an order to the Huntington County Board of Health as recommended, and send it to the secretary of the Huntington County Board of Health, for him to duly serve upon the county commissioners. THE T. A. SNYDER PRESERVE COMPANY, OF TIPTON, INDIANA. The following communication and the following inspection of-the plant of the T. A. Snyder Preserve Company at Tipton, were presented for consideration: STATE OF INDIANA, TIPTON COUNTY, Ss: To the State Board of Health of the State of Indiana: The undersigned would respectfully show to your honorable board that it is a corporation duly organized under the laws of the State of Ohio, and is now, and has been for many years, engaged in manufacturing of tomato catsup. That one of the factories where it manufactures such catsup is located in Tipton, Ind., on the main line of the Lake Erie and Western Railroad. That the farmlands in the vicinity of Tipton are very fertile, and the soil is of such a nature that it produces large crops of very fine quality of tomatoes. That the undersigned has expended several thousand dollars in locating its said factory conveniently for the farmers who raise the tomatoes, and the employes who work in its said factory, and for shipping purposes, and at the time of the location of its said factory it obtained permission of the proper authorities of the city of Tipton to put in a five-inch sewer for its factory and connect it with one of the city sewers at a point about one hundred feet south of its said factory for the purpose of carrying off the waste water. That it put in said five-inch sewer in the summer of 1901, and connected the same with said city sewer, and has used the same ever since for the purpose of carrying off the waste water. That it obtains its supply of water from a driven well over one hundred feet in depth, and the same is pure and wholesome. This water is used in washing the tomatoes as they come from the fields, and in washing the vats in which the catsup is cooked and in washing the floors of the factory, after which it all flows through said five-inch sewer into a large city sewer which runs from a point near said factory south through said city, a distance of about three-quarters of a mile, and empties into a small stream known as Cicero Creek. That said stream is a natural water course and runs through the south part of said city of Tipton, and furnishes the only outlet for all the sewerage of said city, and empties into White river below Noblesville, Indiana. That the population of said city of Tipton is now about five thousand, and there is running water in said creek at all times of the year. The undersigned further says that there is no poisons of any kind or nature in the waste water when it flows from its factory, and that such waste water can be safely discharged into said sewer and stream without injury to the public health, and the undesigned prays that your honorable, board grant and issue it a written permit to so discharge |