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that all works necessary to make a house safe and habitable will
be enforced in this district.
The removal of house refuse and dust has entailed for some
years past a very great responsibility on the Sanitary staff, and
especially during this year, as instead of having them removed
by one or more contractors for a lump sum, the Board determined
to do the work themselves, contracting for the carts, horses,
implements, and one man to each cart. When this plan was
first carried out in March, 1871, the contract price was 9/- per
day, which included, for some parts of the district, two men to
each cart, and in others three men to two carts. The cost for
removing 3140 loads during the quarter ending June 24th, was
£485 18s. From June 24th to March 25th in 1872, there were
removed 11,226 loads of dust at a cost of £1530 18s. 0d., when
a different system was adopted. During the latter nine months
the contract price was 2/3 per load, the contractor providing
the necessary number of carts with one man to each cart and
also a shovel, basket, ladder. The contractor's men are also responsible
for the safe custody of the carts, horses, and implements.
The Board engaged the necessary number of men to assist in
the removal, sometimes one man to each cart, but generally one
man to two carts, the number of carts employed varying
between 10 and 22. The Board also during the whole of this
period employed an Inspector of dust, who has had no other
duties to perform than to superintend its removal. The district
is divided into nine sub-divisions, so that a cart can go
through or into every road, street, lane, court, alley and place
once every week. About four thousand D cards were distributed
during the year, informing the inhabitants of the day on which
the carts will pass, and that the card is to be placed in the window
if they wished the dust to be removed. The plan has been far
more satisfactory than any other, although 3734 requests for