THE Evening Star. TUESESDAY, JULY 27, 1869.

Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 1942, 27 July 1869, Page 2

THE Evening Star. TUESESDAY, JULY 27, 1869.

Many cases have lately came before the Resident Magistrates showing the difficulty in which owners of property in different parts of the town are placed, through the changes of level of the ground,-’consequent upon City improvements. Not a few summonses have been issued to compel the removal of nuisances caused thereby. In some instances the construction of a road has formed a dam to property at a lower level, and water has accumulated, which becoming stagnant, has proved a nuisance. The state of property in the City realise the description given by Mr Ctradwick in his work on Sanitary Economy. There is no law as to the duties of the owners of lands and houses to each other and the public, and consequently in the absence of a system of drainage, it often happens that the impurities arising on one property are driven on to that of a co-terrainous owner. In other instances the surface drains in the streets are made use of for carrying off impurities from houses. It is well that the population of the City is not so dense as to render that nuisance specially dangerous. The Corporation has done much in the removal of them. The swamp in King street is at least more endurable than it once was, and in many respects there is great improvement but more requires to bo achieved. It seems very hard to require owners of property to remove nuisances that are created by the act of the Corporation, yet this is not unfrequently done. This state of things however, points to a clear duty—that of providing efficient drainage to the City. If much has been done, much remains undone. The inhabitants of some districts have no longer to drink from streams polluted in their course by drainage into them from various foul sources. But the blessing of a water supply is not generally enjoyed. In many parts of the town iSwifi s description of the eflects of a city shower would apply exceedingly well—- “ Now from all parts the swelling kennels flow, And Hear their trophies with them as they go ; Filths of all hues and odours seem to tell What street they sailed from by their sight or smell.”

The whole city is now agitated by the desire to have gas at a cheap rate. This is a very desirable object, and should occupy the calm and deliberate attention of every business man. Nothing tends more to order and the moral well-being of a city, than its being well lighted at night. A city in darkness is a city in ■which crime and immorality are invited to take their abode. the cost of lighting is well saved in the less expense of the police and the prevention of disorder ; but the advantages derivable from the one branch of civic economy, should not render the citizens blind to the necessity for the adoption of measures to secure those of another. It is quite possible to dwell in a badly lighted city, if in other respects it is healthy. If through its darkness at night it is rendered less safe, and life in it less enjoyable, now as in old times, men got accustomed to those drawbacks. But it is a different matter where life is liable to be taken by an insidious and unsuspected enemy. Every advance made in the City arrangements for improving the streets, water supply, and drainage, has proved beneficial in a sanitary point of view. Three or four years ago the death statistics of Dunedin were alarming. Compared with many towns in Great Britain, they were startlingly high. But then there were many nudrained swamps; water accumulated in the streets, and there was no means for its readily getting away. These wore nurseries for fever. The surface drainage was very had. In that respect there is improvement, although it is far from being perfect. But that which is most needed is a regular system of underground drainage. Mr Chadwick, in his sanitary report says : An impression is often prevalent that a heavy mortality is an unavoidable condition of all laage towns, and of a town population in general. It has, however, been shown that groups of cottages on a high lull, exposed to the most salubrious breezes, when cleanliness is neglected, arc often the nests of fever and disease as intense as the most crowded districts. The mortuary returns of particular districts (in the essentials _ of drainage, cleansing, and ventilation, 10 which it is practicable to make other districts approximate, and that, too, with reductions of existing charges) prove that a high degree of mortality docs not invariably belong to the population of all towns, and piobably not necessarily to any, even where the population is engaged in manufactures. . . . There is reason to believe that where any attention has been paid to the sanitary condition of towns, we should find that, us their •population increased, the average duration

of life was enlarged, instead of being shortc ed, in conformity wi'li the usual law which is believe 1 to follow the increase of cities.

We have gas and water. We nowwant drainage.