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but should be regarded from the sanitary rather than the commercial
point of view, and they are of opinion that the time
is at hand when the Nuisance Authority will have to adopt
the process of refuse-destruction by fire, in specially constructed
apparatus, such for instance as is in operation at
many great provincial centres of population, e.g., Birmingham,
Leeds, Manchester, Warrington, etc.* The mere reduction
in bulk resulting from this process (some 70 to 80 per cent.)
is in itself a great gain, so that in the event of no practicable
means of utilizing the products of combustion—slag and dust
being found, the quantity of perfectly innocuous matter to
be disposed of would be relatively small. This is a very
important factor in the case having regard to the limited
facilities for water carriage, and to the exhorbitant, not to say
prohibitory, cost of railway carriage. The slag, however, is
useful for making up roads ; and ground into powder and
mixed with lime it makes a valuable mortar, which in the
provincial towns finds a ready sale at a remunerative price.
"The combustion apparatus might be made available for the
destruction of vegetable refuse and of infected articles ; and
probably it would suffice for the destruction of small quantities
of animal refuse, failing any scheme for its ' utilization.'
"The Committee, in concluding this section of their report,
desire to place on record their disapproval of the present
system of storing house refuse in "dust-bins," in close proximity
to dwelling houses, a system unjustifiable on sanitary
principles and productive of nuisance at every stage. Legal
provision should be made for the daily removal of the refuse in
covered carts, and to facilitate collection the refuse should be
deposited in suitable receptacles which should be placed evenmorning
on the pavement in front of the house.
" 3. With respect to stable and cow-shed refuse. The
Nuisance Authority has power under the 53rd section of the
Sanitary Act, 1866, to make regulations for the ' periodical
removal' by the owner of manure, etc., and an ample penalty,
* "Fryer's Destructor" may be mentioned as the best known form of such
apparatus for the " destruction" of refuse by fire."—T.O.D.
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