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4
proportion as the density of population increases, the duty is more urgent to
leave not a stone unturned for their removal. In reference to drainage, I
expressed my opinion in a report to the Yestry in January last. I am glad to
find that since that time several new sewers have been made, and that the
attention of the Yestry and the Committee of Works, is still directed to this
subject. I hope that you will not rest satisfied until all parts of the parish are
efficiently sewered.
In proportion to the size of the parish, the amount of new sewerage
required is not great; in the older parts of the district, however, some of the
sewers are not deep enough, and the condition of some is such, that they are
liable to become sewers of deposit, enormous cesspools in fact; to what extent
this is the case, you may learn from your Chief Surveyor. I am glad to hear
that the Committee of Works are busily engaged on the sewers which act
imperfectly, in the way of flushing them and preventing deposits. During the
summer months it is their intention, I believe, to resort to disinfectants, whereever
these appear necessary. It would not be safe to disturb the soil near old
sewers during hot weather; but I trust that the work of renovating imperfect
sewers will be resumed in the winter.
The condition of water-tanks in private dwellings is a subject of great
importance; it is one over which the existing state of the law gives you but
imperfect control. So far as your powers extend, the Sanitary Committee will
do what they can to improve them.
The removal of decaying organic matter from the neighbourhood of houses
is also of great moment. By means of house to house inspection, now being
carried on by the four Sanitary Inspectors, and the co-operation of the Committee
of Works, the dust contractors are stimulated to much greater activity. Amongst
the poor there is often great indifference exhibited as to the removal of houserefuse,
and amongst other persons the dustman is often allowed to pass the house
several times without being hailed, even where there is an offensive accumulation
in the dust-bin, because the time at which he passes is not a convenient one for
the purpose. All public dust-bins should be emptied twice a week.
During the summer months, I should recommend that tho streets, and
especially narrow places occupied by the poor, should be scavengered more
frequently than they have been during the winter; such places require, in the
summer, to be swept every other day.
The plan of storing vegetable and animal matter near dwellings, for several
weeks, is a very objectionable one. It would be much better that all such refuse,
which is not burnt, should be kept in a covered box, to be emptied by the
scavenger every morning, or every second day at furthest. This change cannot
be carried out at the present time.
The refuse from green-grocers' shops is constantly, and that from fishmongers
and others, is sometimes thrown into the streets in front of their shops, and
there it is allowed to be exposed to sun and shower, until it is removed by the
scavenger, who in many cases only passes once a week. This practice is very
objectionable, and gives rise to offensive smells and noxious effluvia. All refuse
of this kind should be kept in baskets or boxes, and removed at least three times
in each week, either by the scavenger or dustman, at the expense of the shopkeeper,
or by some private arrangement on his part.