The Battle for School Sanitation
A bitter feud erupts between Seattle's school board and the board of health over the safety of 'dry closet' systems in public classrooms.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The contest between the board of education and the board of health over the sanitation of the public schools is an interesting one. The school board has equipped the Pacific, Cascade, and Day schools with a system of 'dry closets' using hot air for desiccation, costing $12,000 to $15,000. However, the board of health insists these systems spread disease by blowing sewage bacilli into the air, demanding connection to the city sewers instead. The school board contends the system is standard in fifty cities and that the health board's agitation is merely a ploy driven by local plumbers seeking work. As the dispute escalates, officials find themselves at a standoff, particularly at the Day school in Fremont, where no sewer connection is currently possible.
“They are, figuratively speaking, in a hole.”
Public health infrastructure battles remain a cornerstone of Seattle's civic discourse. This 1894 dispute reflects the perennial tension between municipal efficiency, cost-saving measures, and the health standards dictated by expert authorities.
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