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7
districts being smaller, and therefore, better for efficient and
systematic supervision, and allowing more time for house-to-house
inspections.
In 1896 the Sewers and Sanitary Committee was split up into
two separate Committees, and on November 6th of the same year
all drainage in connection with both new and old houses was
transferred to the Sanitary Committee, thereby making one department
responsible. It was also decided that in the event of
any difficulty arising, there should be an appeal to a Committee,
viz., if a new building, to the Sewers, and if an existing building,
to the Sanitary Committee, for decision. It may be pointed out
that in no single instance has an appeal been made to either one
Committee or the other, thereby proving the advisability of such
a change being made. Drainage of all houses, whether new or
old, is supervised by the Sanitary Inspectors, and in each case
water-tested in sections and as a whole before being passed;
and as time goes on the good derived from such a strict supervision
of all drainage work in the Parish must have a beneficial
effect. It may also be pointed out that no complaints have been
received by the Committee with respect to the carrying out of
this drainage work, showing that there is an absence of friction,
and that the ratepayers of the Parish, especially property owners,
are satisfied.
In this connection it may be mentioned that, as years go by,
fewer and fewer houses are found to give a result with the test
as generally applied by the Inspectors (the chemical test). Thus,
15 per cent. only of infected houses in 1899 gave a result with the
test, as compared with 16.9 in 1898, 16.4 in 1897, 17.5 in 1896,
and 18.6 in 1895; whereas, in the previous four years, the annual
average is 23.9 per cent.
The water test is applied in all cases in new buildings, but in
the case of old buildings only with the consent of the owner, the
chemical and smoke tests being usually applied. When no result
is obtained from such smoke or chemical test, the owner is
informed that the drains are not, therefore, necessarily perfect, or