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31
The number of complaints cannot, therefore, be expected to
diminish with any very great rapidity, as the inhabitants will have
to unlearn the necessity of complaining to head-quarters under the
present altered state of things, by which a frequent and efficient
service offers facilities for removal which have not previously existed.
The drawback referred to will probably be in time removed, and
a more satisfactory condition in regard to the number of complaints
will then be attained.
But even time will not cure everything, and drawbacks
incidental and inherent to the work will remain, for the weak side of
human nature in different classes of the community must continually
militate against a complete efficiency.
The contractors have, it is true, departed from this work, and
peace be to their manes ; but dustmen are still necessary, who will
naturally care first for themselves, by evincing assiduous attention
in respect to those customers whose consideration in return is
generally the most liberal.
"Sparrows," "pigeons" and "tots" will still constitute the
most powerful attractions to the men who will never willingly
forsake such irresistible charms for the " dead pieces " of the poorer
neighbourhoods, where the people themselves are unfortunately the
least self-helpful. Much supervision and control in such localities
will therefore always be found to be absolutely indispensable.
Nor will householders and their servants become all at once
entirely blameless or less negligent of their duty to themselves,
for many will continue to be indifferent to the necessity of frequent
and regular removal of all house refuse, irrespective of quantity.
For some time they will not heed the long buried but now resuscitated
cry of " Dust Oh ! " until excited by the louder cries from the reeking
dust-bin, when everyone will be freely censured except the culpable
parties themselves.
But notwithstanding all such contingencies, an immense step
in advance has undoubtedly been attained by the Vestry thus
undertaking and successfully carrying out the dusting and slopping
of the parish, and I believe that it is equally indubitable that this
great work has been accomplished in so satisfactory a manner
as to establish its permanency as an ordinary part of the direct
administration of your Vestry.