View report page

20
I have had upwards of twenty years practical exerience in the
laying of Drains and supervising the fitting up of Sanitary Appliances
for some hundreds of houses and premises of all kinds.
I have supervised or inspected the construction of a large
number of Inspection Chambers, and the fixing of Interceptor Traps
to same. My experience of this work includes the provision of
entirely new systems, as well as the amendment and modernising of
older systems of drainage and works incidental thereto.
I believe I am acquainted with all the various makes and
designs of Interceptor Traps in the market, and have considered the
claims advanced by the inventors or manufacturers of most of them.
In addition to practical acquaintance with Sanitary and Drainage
Works, tunning into many miles of drains, and including systems
laid both with and without any Interceptor, I have for about fifteen
years past given much consideration to the many points and theories
advanced by one school and another in connection with this matter.
I have attended numerous Conferences, Lectures, and discussions,
and I believe I have heard the most of the Papers, and have
read nearly all the Reports and proceedings that have been published
on the question of Interceptor Traps, their advantages and disadvantages.
The question is not a new one, and had in fact
reached the stage of debate some years prior to the abolition of the
old Metropolitan Vestries.
In one's early days as Sanitary Student and Inspector the
Intercepting proposals had to be accepted as they stood. Text book
writers had taken the idea from Mr. Buchan, and from this it apparently
got included in the draft provisions of the Model Bye-Laws.
Practical Sanitary Science was in its earliest infancy, there was no
opinion to the contrary and, truth compels the admission, very little
confirmatory ; consequently, the system of Intercepting Drains
appears to have been accepted in theory at least as the proper thing
and this position was not, indeed could not be, challenged. Practical
knowledge of actual working however very soon caused thinking
sanitarians much concern, and the question was asked whether in
practice the appliance did fulfil all or any of the many claims advanced