THE SANITARY STATE OF SMALL TOWNS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 666, 22 January 1875, Page 3

THE SANITARY STATE OF SMALL TOWNS.

—o—(From The Graphic.) Not many towns in England, it may he hoped, are quite so bad as Over Darwen, vet it is more than probable that Over Darwen is but an extreme typo of a far more uncommon class. The outbreak of fever, which for the moment has called for the intervention of the Local Government Board, is but the inevitable result -of an inexorable law, predicted in official reports a dozen years ago, preceded within this very year by more than one disregarded warning. It would be needless to dwell on the sanitary conditions of life in Over Darwen, or tho combined action on its inhabitants of sewer gases and polluted water. The causes, too, of these evils are not far to seek. A rapidly-increasing population that has sprung up around a hrmlet primitively innocent of sanitary arrangements,—a Local Board' elected to keep down the rates, are quite sufficient to explain the whole. But tho state of Over Darwen is in every respect that of half the villages that have developed into towns within the last quarter of a century in tho great centres of manufacturing industry. Crowds of operatives settle down at hazard

in streets hastily run up to moot their most urgent wantfc—sewage and drainage pipes are roughly laid dswh, or not laid down at all—carelessness inj choice of site or in the construction of reservoirs exposes the water supply to the drainage of the fields and the still more dangerous* percolations through the soil. It is a town that has grown up, and to meet its requirements it finds no more than was scant enough for the rustic village. And self-help, after all, is not so easy. The richer employers do not live in tho town, the working classes and the small shop-keepers have hocomo in some measure hardened to its inconveniences, and would rather, perhaps, in many instances, hear the ills they have than fly to dangerous expenses which they know not of. Would it not be well that in such cases the Local Government Board should at once bo armed with compulsory powers ? Probably tho district Boards are quite as often puzzled and ignorant as hard and selfish. Might not Government Commissioners often with advantage take the initiative in assistance and advice ? Reservoirs w*»ll built and lined with concrete would at least ensure pure water. En attendant a perfect system of drainage, the earth system, we fancy, is well suited to straggling village streets, and disinfectants like tho chloride of salt are at onco cheap and efficacious for cure or prevention. The largo towns take care of themselves, and though they may suffer from overcrowding, can at all events secure fair water supply and tolerable sewers. Landlords and farmers are beginning to lo"k more closely to the cottages of their labourers. In the smaller towns and overgrown villages the power must come from without, alike to create a healthy public opinion, and to give it force to act effectively. If the Local Government Board has not such power as yet, clearly no time is to be lost in supplying the deficiency.