From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for July 18, 1916:

• “With the appointment of A. E. Blair as building inspector, the city commission today took the final step toward putting the new building ordinance into operation. The appointment came after considerable discussion of what should be expected of the new official. It was pointed out that he could not be a practicing plumber, since the city attorney’s opinion was to the effect that a man could not inspect his own work…. Mr. Blair is an architect. He is at present out of the city on business. It is expected that his duties will begin here about August 1.”
• “Bridge street is receiving its first sprinkling of the summer at the hands of city officials this morning. A team from the fire department was put to work this morning with the water wagon to settle the heavy dust that has been bothering the merchants on the north side. Early in the summer a few lengths of hose from the fire department were loaned to the merchants along the street to use in connection with the fire plugs. But the plan did not work satisfactorily according to the officers of the water company, and it was said that the damage to the fire plugs made fire protection inadequate. The hose was removed and since that time no sprinkling has been done. The work started this morning is to be permanent, according to the city commissioners, and the street will be kept in good condition during the remainder of the summer.”
• “The painters and paper-hangers finished work last night, the furniture was put in place and the newly remodeled rooms of the Merchants Association await only the rap of the president’s gavel to start the convention of the Kansas Retailers Association tomorrow morning on one of the best conventions it has ever held. Along the street decorations will be hung and ‘Welcome to Lawrence’ banners will adorn windows. The whole affair will be carried out with such precision that the one hundred delegates to the convention will have a fine time and will return to their homes with words of praise for Lawrence. At least that is the calculation of the merchants of Lawrence who have had charge of the entertainment for the visiting delegates. And the plans have gone on without any halt so far and the indications are that the whole thing will go off smoothly.”
• “The sixth case of infantile paralysis in Kansas was reported to Dr. S. J. Crumbine, secretary of the Kansas board of health, last night. The new case is in Salina…. ‘I do not wish to minimize the dangers of infantile paralysis,’ Doctor Crumbine said last night, ‘but reports of two other diseases were made to the office today that are more alarming than infantile paralysis. Nineteen new cases of tuberculosis were reported today and thirteen new cases of typhoid. The death rate of tuberculosis is about 95 per cent.'”