100 years ago: State health official speaks out on Lawrence water situation

From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Feb. 14, 1913:

  • “‘The water situation in Lawrence is a great disgrace and a menace to the entire state.’ Dr. S. J. Crumbine, secretary of the State Board of Health thus expressed himself this morning. Dr. Crumbine was in Lawrence to attend to his work on the hill as dean of the school of medicine. Dr. Crumbine is a firm believer in the municipal ownership of water plants and says that he hopes to see Lawrence purchase the plant here soon. It is the only way the matter can be satisfactorily adjusted, he says. At present there are but seven privately owned water plants in the State of Kansas and Dr. Crumbine says that he hopes that Lawrence will reduce this number to six in the near future. ‘The Lawrence water plant has caused the Health Board more concern than any in the state,’ says Dr. Crumbine. ‘But the board has kept out of the controversy because it believed that the people of Lawrence would realize that they must do something and would do it. The state board could step in but this would bring state-wide attention to the condition here and we didn’t want to do that.'”
  • “The proposition of a change to the commission form of government will be submitted to the voters of the City of Lawrence on the first day of April of this year. The city council in adjourned session last night called such an election to be held in connection with the regular spring election at which Commission Government will be the issue.”
  • “The two boys, who were being held in the county jail on a charge of having stolen a well drill, were paroled last night by Judge Smart. The judge stated, ‘They do not look like criminals to me.'”
  • “There is a letter at the Police Station for Samuel Webb, anyone know him? The letter is from Leavenworth and is addressed in care of the Chief of Police.”