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most efficient. An objection has been raised to the trapping and the deodorising
of sewers by means of charcoal or other filters; and the objection is not without
weight. It is that by the use of any of these expedients there is danger
of overlooking and being careless about the efficiency and perfection of the
sewer itself, and after all this should be the main object. If the sewer
give off an undue amount of the noxious gases it will be impossible, except
by the adoption of most expensive appliances, to prevent these gases finding
their way to human beings, either in the public streets or (which is worse) in
private houses. For myself, I fully sympathise in the main with those who
urge this objection, and believe that you, to whom is entrusted the drainage of
this large district, should not rest satisfied until every street, and court, and
alley are provided with a thoroughly well-acting sewer, and every house is
made to communicate directly with that sewer. During the long interval which
must necessarily elapse before such works can be carried out, I believe that it
will be advisable in many cases to resort to the use of gulley traps or air filters
as temporary expedients. The efficiency of the sewers is now more important
than ever it was, on account of the much larger number of houses whose drains
run directly into them, owing to the abolition of cesspools. As I pointed out
above, where a sewer is imperfect, it becomes a large elongated cesspool, or a
succession of smaller ones; even this, I believe, is better than having cesspools
under the house, but it is of course very injurious, and cannot fail to swell the
tables of mortality, and to perpetuate the race of puny, pale-faced, and unhealthy
persons.
During the year there has been a large number of houses, previously in a
very bad sanitary state, rendered wholesome.
The operations of your Sanitary Committee, and the officers of that department,
as recorded in the Books, are given below.
In addition to the places recorded there are many others that have been
improved, in which no formal notice has been given, and many inspections have
been made, which are not specially reported.
945 houses have been inspected, and specially reported. (These have been
in consequence either of complaints from parishioners, or of prevailing
sickness, made known to the Officer of Health in a variety of ways).
343 new drains have been constructed.
219 old drains improved.
1007 traps supplied to drains.
411 cesspools abolished.
418 water closets furnished with pan, trap, and water supply.
470 old water closets supplied with water; 21 new ones erected where
none previously existed.
148 dust bins erected.
107 old ones repaired.
157 cellars or yards newly paved, or pavements relaid.
To 14 houses, previously without water, there has been a supply of water
for domestic purposes furnished.
130 houses have been cleansed and lime-whited.
25 houses have had their ventilation improved.
47 other nuisances have been abated.
5 cowsheds have been repaved and had their drainage improved.
To effect these improvements 642 notices have been served; in 99 instances
secondary notices have been issued; and in 64 instances summonses
have been taken out under the Nuisances Removal Act. This step is only
adopted after all the officers' powers of persuasion have been exhausted, and
ample warning has been given.