CONSERVATION OF CITY SEWAGE

Chronicle (Levin), 17 August 1946, Page 5

CONSERVATION OF CITY SEWAGE

Press Association

. By Telegraph-

WELLINGTON, August 16. The appointment of a Koyal Commis sion to investignte the niost suitable methods for composting urban wastes and converting thein into effeetive fertilisers to prcserve the humie content of the soil is urged in a petition from the New Zealand branch of the British Medieal Association and other cDrporate bodies presented in the House of Kepresentatives yesterday by the Minister of Internal Affairs (ilr. Parry). The petitioners asked in the event of such Eoyal Gonimission linding it would be in the national interest of New Zealand to 'foster the eonversion of city sewage and garbage wastes into compost that legislation be passed constituting waste utilisation boards in urban cenlres in New Zealand to deal with sewage and garbage wastes. The petitioners stated that it was a matter of urgent national iinportanec that steps be" taken to restore humus to the soil. They claimed that the inci dence of diseaso in New Zealand, such as dental caries, bone eomplaints, heart affections, and digestive troubles ap peared to be increasing, and would aj> pear to have a definite relationship to deficiencies in food occasioned by tlu produce of soils lacking in importani constituents or deficient in humus con tent. There were at present operating over seas many sound methods of utilising urban sewage sludge and collected gar bage by composting for soil fertilising purposes. The adoption of a similar scheme for the urban areas of New Zealand would be of inculeulable bene fit to New Zealand and niight possibly save New Zealand taxpavers approximately £10,000,000 per annum, as well as provide the means of carrying into practical effect the return of wastes to tlie soil and thus maintain the health and fertility of New Zealand 's soil.