View report page

27
" Gentlemen,
I beg to present the detailed report prepared by Inspectors
Richards and Jones as the result of their openings and examinations
made at the Workhouse in accordance with your instructions. It will
be gathered from that report that the drainage system and the sanitary
conditions generally are not at all satisfactory.
" During the progress of the opening up I have visited the premises
on several occasions and have myself seen the drains at all the points
described in their detailed report, and I am personally cognisant of the
accuracy of the conditions they describe.
" Mr. Jones commenced these openings with the Council's men on
Monday, the 10th instant. Since then 28 openings at different points
have been made, all of which openings were made at or near the top
ends of branch drains and near to the surfaces.
" The conditions found are sufficiently bad to warrant the opinion
that nothing short of a reconstruction of the drainage together with the
remodelling and systematic grouping of the various branches will give
any permanent satisfaction to the Guardians or render the Workhouse
and offices at all sanitary.
" With reference to the fittings, i.e., w.c's., lavatories, sinks and the
like, some of these existing fittings can undoubtedly be allowed to
remain, but other fittings, together with the pipes attached thereto,
must be entirely reconstructed and renewed. This specially applies to
obsolete forms of w.c's , which are at present fitted to stoneware soil
pipes and unprovided with the necessary ventilating pipes. In certain
cases trough closets are still in existence. These cannot now be
described as sanitary or satisfactory, and should, in each case be
replaced with modern w.c. pans and traps. The ventilation at present
fixed is entirely insufficient, and in many cases consists only of Sin.
light rain water piping.
" As already mentioned, Mr. Jones commenced these openings on
the 10th instant and they were continued up to the 24th, when I gave