The Daily Telegraph. FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 1883.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3643, 16 March 1883, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 1883.

The notice of motion standing in Cr. Cotton's name aims at a very important alteration of the sanitary arrangements of the borough. He proposes, in effect, the determination of the night-soilman's contract, and that the Corporation should undertake the work, charging the householders for the same iv the form of a sanitary rate at so much per pan. Tho idea is not new. ( If Aye recollect rightly the municipal engineer suggested a similar way of doing the ; work, and° though it has much to recom- . mend it there arc drawbacks of a senous nature to bo considered in respect to it. Its adoption would involve the purchase by the Cornorotion of horses and carts, and the employment of an extra staff of men. Now it is a singular circumstance, but one that J:

ought not to be overlooked, that horses kept by a governing _ body eat more and necessarily cost more than they do if stabled by private persons. "It is always so iv the army, ; ' and the animals arc none the better for it. Besides this, we are by no -y. means sure that the Corporation has'any ' aA-ailable capital to launch out tho expenditure that would be reqidred. In addition to the purchase of horses and carts, it Avould be found necessary to build stables, and, possibly, to initiate the scheme at least, £SOO Avould have to be expended. It was, AAe belieA'e, in consideration of the preliminary outlay that determined the Council to pass over Mr Lamb's suggestion, and, probably, Cr. Cotton's motion a\_U be rejected on the same grounds. As a ride contract work is the cheapest and the best. At the same time Mr Cotton's proposal is avcll timed, and will no doubt lead to good results. It Avill at least bring prominently before the Council a question_hat demands immediate attention. It AviU recall the inspector's suggestion contained in his January report, Avhich, though obtaining tho hearty approval and adoption of the Council, has not yet been acted upon. Mr Cotton's motion may therefore lead to an amendment embodying that report, than Avhich nothing more economical or more calculated to be effectual has yet in our opinion been proposed. Briefly stated it is that the area of the "pan system" I shall be divided into districts, each of wh'ch | shall receive the attention of the contractor in rotation ; that the contractor shall be paid monthly by the Corporation at so much per pan, and that each household shall pay a sanitary rate of an amount calculated" on the basis upon Avhich the contractor is paid. It has been shoAvn by the inspector's report that the removal of nightsoil by this system Avill be cheaper than that iioav in force, and that the imposition of a rate Avill put a stop to the evasion of the contractors services. As it is uoav, the contractor only charges those householders A\_iose premise's he A-isits, and this system, of course, opens the door to those practices for the riddance of nightsoil that render any attempt at sanitary regulation abortive.