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xiii
SEWERS.
Under the item of Sewers Works I have no new
works to record; of course it would hardly be allowable
to report that the condition of the local sewers
is perfect, but I think the Vestry may on the whole
congratulate themselves on the fact that the state of
the sewerage in St. James's, Westminster, is in a
tolerably complete state, and very little has been
required to be expended during the last twelve
months under this head, in fact one dilapidated sewer
in New Burlington Street forms almost the only
definite item; a great deal has been done in cleansing
both gullies and sewers, in fact at least two
men are always employed in this duty and rendering
such assistance in cleansing and freeing private
drains from obstructions as they can; this latter duty
is a great boon to the ratepayers, not to be appreciated
except by an individual who experiences the
annoyance of living in a house where the drain is
stopped. These two men are also useful in letting
off the water from street gullies and urinals when
they happen from any cause to become choked.
The main difficulty with regard to sewerage works
still exists, that is the ventilation, not only is air
requisite for men to be enabled to work, but the
most important part, namely, the generating of
various foul gases still remains to be satisfactorily
dealt with. These gases will generate and will find
their wav somewhere; if confined in the sewer they