A portion of all this ingenuity might very well be turned toward this question,
and it would be a sagacious step on the part of the city government to offer a
handsome reward for such a discovery.''

I had the honor of saying to this Committee, a year ago, Mr.
Chairman, that I believed that the inventive ability of our engineers
and scientific men would discover a practical method, adapted to our
climate and our situation, of freeing sewage from improper matters,
precisely the same as it has made useful and valuable improvements
in all other directions. The fact is, that only within the last few
years has the attention of our people been directed to sanitary ques-
tions. Now they have become, as this Committee are specially aware,
of the greatest importance. Almost all the cities have their water-



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supply ; most of them have s_ystems of sewerage : but, in securing
those great luxuries which are only the necessities of modern civiliza-
tion, they have not given sufBcient attention to the effect which the
use of these conveniences may have upon their neighbors, and also,
I may say, to the waste which they themselves are making of what
they. have. ,

The object of this hearing is to ask this Committee to require the
city of Worcester to take some steps in the matter. It has been, up
to this time, a matter of investigation, a matter of consideration.
