The Daily Telegraph FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1881.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 2999, 4 February 1881, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1881.

The sub-committee appointed by the Municipal Council to enquire into the "pan Bystem" have not yet brought up their report. We trust that they will show no hurry in doing so, but will take every pains to ascertain the true merits of every system. Although the motion in respect to the adoption of pans was brought forward by Or. de Lisle, we venture to think that the earth closet is infinitely the best. The subject is not oue into which we care to enter miuutely, but it is of too much importance to the sanitary condition of the town for us to allow it to be passed in silence. Both the earth and the pan system have been tried to some little extent in Napier, but the trials have been so carelessly made that from them alone no decision could be arrived at. Six years ago the earth-closet system was adopted by resolution of the Council, and a bye-law was passed in relation to it. Unfortunately the byelaw was allowed to become a dead-letter, and the earth being gradually omitted the principle wai lost. If the Borough Council, however, had performed its duty in the sti let enforcement of its byslaw, the people would, long ere this, have been accustomed to the system, and it would have been worked easily and cheaply, as is found to be the case in the large cities where it has taken the place of all other methods. As a matter of course, the whole advantage to be derived from the earth-closet depends on the quality of the earih that is used. If the earth is sandy it is no good as a deodoriser. The earth should be a good black loam or dried 3lay. It must be perfectly dry, and, before use, passed through a screen of three-eighths of an inch mesh. The process brings the earth out in a fine granulated form and in a fit state to absorb all moisture. The whole thing is very simple, especially when done in large quantities. Messrs Draper and Sons, of Melbourne, who have a patent closet, attend to and supply with earth over 3000 houses in that city, the work being done between the hours of 5 a.m. and 3 a.m. The soil is removed in air-tight carts made of wood, with a tilt cover, the use of which might and ought to be insisted upon in Napier. The disgusting method employed in this town, where a cart goes its sickening rounds from midnight to day-break polluting the air is disgraceful to the authorities, and, we should think, counteracts whatever benefit there may be in the adoption of the pan system.