SANITATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 March 1916, Page 3

SANITATION.

. SCHEME FOR NEW PLYMOUTH. TO DEAL WITH RUBBISH. The Borough Council met last night as a Sanitation Committee. Present: Crs. J. Haydeu (r-hairman). L. M. M'onteath. J. S. S. Medlov, I'. E. Wilson, W. A. Cnllis, W. F. Short, F. J. Hill, S. J. Smith, J. T. Maiinix, and the Mayor (Mr. C. H. Burgess). The sanitary inspector (Mr. R. Day) submitted his report upon the removal of niglitso: I and other offensive matter from the borough, at a cost of 8:1 yer pan per week. He said there could be no doubt that a proper drainage scheme was required for the whole borough, but, in the meantime, some improvement on present methods was required to deal .with this important matter. After dealing with the method now employed, Mr. Day proceeded: "The method of removal I strongly reeommendl Is the sealed pan system, which for cheapness of handling and cleanliness lias given the utmost satisfaction wherever it has been tried. Next to a water borne system, it is the cleanest, safest and cheapest method. Cheap because it can be done in the daytime with horses that trot." The report continued: "The prime importance of this scheme from the sanitary point of view is the fact that it is fly-proof. At the present price of 17s 4d there is no doubt the contractor is losing money. He states that if he had no bad debts he would draw £75 per quarter, and his wages account is £7B. The area I propose is the old borough with the addition of Fitzroy between the old railway line and the sea; anything outside of that could be a matter for special arrangement. For instance 40 places at West End beach could be done for three months for 5s each, while another 100 could be done if necessary at Westown and Vogeltown. Another advantage of the system is that offensive matter could be taken dailv in a sealed pan—l refer to rotten fruit, fish-heads, cleanings of fowls from hotels, and oilier such matter. If this were dene it would remove a serious nuisance from the tip, and one of the chief causes of complaints from the public. A special charge could be made for this, but the cart should call daily." The inspector estimated that the scheme would cost, at the outset, £3OO. while the yearly income, which would pay for the work was estimated at £535. REFUSE REMOVAL. A further report was received from the inspector n regard to the removal of refuse and the. estimate of cost. He considered that one man with dray could do the work, provided that suitable tipping area, easy of access, is secured, He prosed to divide the area into two parts, business and residential, and to collect from the business area daily, and from the houses weekly. The cost would be about Id per day for shops and lid per week for houses. The business area is from and including Harvey's butcher shop, the post office and Lister's store along Devon Street to Cover Street, including Red House Hotel and bakery next door. Egmont, King, Queen, Brougham, Cur-rle, Silver and Robe Streets, Approximately 2.W places. The residential is on both sides of the following streets and all intervening streets. Belt lload. and five houses on South Road towards the port, along Powderham Street up Morley Street, along Vivian Stret, up Dawson Street, alone: Standish, Barrett, and Wallace Streets." then back to Suited Street up Robe Street, along Fillis Street and Gilbert Street to the Te Honui River, and thence to the sea. Approximately 1100 houses. The report added: "Trade waste and offensive matter such as fish heads and waste from hotels might be made a matter of arrangement; the offensive matter could be dealt with in another way, if a sealed pan system of offensive matter removal was inaugurated. It is a nuisance on a tip. Each customer musL be compelled to have a properly covered tin, a very fine sample is on view, holding two cubic feet, and galvanised after it is made; but there is no doubt thai it would prove a burden to many people to pay fls for a tin. A tin should post 3s (id. For easy working it is desirable to have two tipping areas, a small private one near Belt Road, and a larger ymblic one east of Cover Street. The small one could be wholly attended to by the dust man while the larger one would require extra labor occasionally.'' "There is ample scope for extension of the work. Westown, Vogeltown, and Fitzroy would provide another 300 houses. This work could bo undertaken next year by the addition of an evtra man for three days per week at a cost well within the estimated charge per year.'' The inspector estimated the scheme would cost .£2OO to launch, and he placed the income at £5Bl ss. It was decided to recommend the Council to adopt the report.