IFIRE BRIGADE COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8060, 13 March 1906, Page 2

IFIRE BRIGADE COUNCIL.

THE MATTER OF DBAINAGE. At lust night's meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council, communications were received from the Fire Brigade respecting the drainage of the central fire station buildings. The sureties of the Brigade wrote concerning tho cold response the representations of the Brigade regarding this matter had met with at the previous meeting of the Council. The letter proceeded:— " The Brigade did not nor does it now wish to pick a quarrel with the Council. The health of the men residing nt the station, involving, in some degree at least, the health of the town, is of most vital importance, and surely your Council must recognise (lint every provision which they have made to secure effective sanitation provisions they are enforcing upon the citizens—ought to be complied with by themselves of all people. Therefore, whatever unpleasantness may arise from the investigations, the responsibility must rest with the Council, and not with us. You will readily understand that we arc anxious to have our main station in a satisfactory sanitary condition, especially so as the condi-tion-under which the resident firemen are placed are not of |he best. Some years ago our brigade lost a valued oflleer and member through typhoid fever, and we haye no desire to have it occur again, or that other members should be placed in similar peril. We feel sure that your Council cannot blame the members of the Brigade, especially the six firemen residing on ; the station, iu addition to the young family of the custodian, if they are un--1 easy and anxious in regard to the al--1 leged sanitary improvements. You ' ask for the source whence the complaint originated. The vile undcodorised stinks which have at times arisen from 1 the vents at the rear of the station have 1 been offensive enough to originate ; strong complaint." The defects of the work wcro summarised by four licensed plumbers and j drain-layers (Messrs J. G. Bussell, T. ! Francis, F. C. Griffiths, and A. Irvine) _ as follows: (1) No disconnecting trap , or drain; (2) sewer vent wrongly plac- > cd; (3) no gully to recoivc bath waste j ; (4) great risk of sewer gas entering the ' station and dwelling; (5) gully in _ wash-house in unsuitable position (this ' should have been outside the build- [ |n 8)! (6) bath waste pipe entering sewer direct.

A letter was enclosed from Dr. Home, in wliicli it was stated that there was ample cause for the complaint which had been made. The doctor enumerated the defects in- the drainage, and virtually condemned the whole work. The chief cause of offence, to his mind, was the want of properly trapped outflows from the inspcction chambers, with ventilation shafts carried up over the caves of tho the building from the sewer side of the disconnecting traps. There was absolutely nothing to prevent the gas arising from the main sewer permeating the building and its surroundings. Tho Mayor stated the work had cost between £SO and £OO. When tho first complaint was received from the brigade, at last Council meeting, tho Borough hugincer (Mr E. Harvoy(iibbon) reported that the work lyid been done in accordance with the Borough by-laws. In the face of tho present roports, it was the duty of the Council to inquire further into the matter. In order to avoid any friction between the Borough Engineer and tho Sanitary Engineer (Mr Kendall), he moved that the matter be referred to the Government Health Officer to investigate.

Or, Wilson saiil )io did not think that wns .the correct procedure. The Fire Brigade had made a specific charge tiiat tlio work earried out bv the Borough Engineer was not in accordance with the by-laws. The ungiucer should reply to those charge*, and he moved that the matter be referred to the Borough Engineer for his report. Cr Montcith seconded, and said the simplest way to )jet at the bottom of the matter was to iisk the Engineer to answer the charges. Cr Hutchen supported the amendment, pointing out the investigations might show the work to have been carried out according to tlio by-laws, and the by-laws themselves might be defective, The amendment was carried, The engineer intimated that he could have liis roport ready next day. Or Collis said the matter should bo settled straight away. An important question like this should be made the occasion even of special meetings. He moved that a special meeting bo held on Friday next at 7.30 p.m. to consider the Borough Engineer's reply to the charges.—Carried.