MASTERTON DRAINAGE SYSTEM.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7953, 31 January 1906, Page 5

MASTERTON DRAINAGE SYSTEM.

THE ENGINEER'S REPORT.

SEVERAL' J3OUSES STILL UNCONNECTED.

Acting ou instructions from the Borough Council, the Engineer submitted a report to /he.-meeting of the Council, last evening, defining the various houses in the Borough which were not yet connected with the drainage system: A list was drawn up, and on it ttaa shown SS-'defaul-ters, but aB eight have since made arrangements to connect, there now remains the following number in each street mentioned to comply with the by-law Queen Street, five; Dixon Street, seven; Hall Street, three; Ohuroh Street, three; Cole Street, two; Villa Street, two; Albeit Street, five; Bannister, Chapel, Perry, Pine and George Streets, one each; and six stables. The report went on to state that ! «u all the cases ample time had elapsed to ensure, the work having been comoleted already,; yet in almost every case practically no steps were being taken to comply with the | bp-law. i A case was cited Where a i person had contracted typhoid fever, j and while there .was nothing .to show that the : [disease was developed from the aarrouadjgutß, still there was > the fact fcb%ip>e house was hot connected with tiia drainage system, and that slop water was discharged on the soil near the vicinity of the boose. In practically every case where houses are congested and no connection with the drainage existed, that state of affairs prevails, and although typhoid infeotion from such a source was supposed to be somewhat remote, yet the statistics of such a town as Wellington went to prove that the percentage of typhoid before the inauguration of an up-to-date drainage system was abnormally high, while sinoe its inception the percentage had fallen. With, such evidence it would be folly for the Council to allow these connections to be delayed, as, they were in the possession of the facilities for stamping out such sources of danger, and it only meant the completion of a few connections, which Were' at present !a blot on an otherwise good and efficient system. In addition to the dancer to health from unconnected houses, there also existed cause for considerable improvement in the conditions of backyards and fowl runs. In many places poultry were allowed" to wander within preoincts of dwelliogs, and poulfcrhuusea were either too close to dwellings or in,an unclean state. As an immediate remedy for those who have failed to con neot with the drainage, instructions had been given some time ago to prosecute the defaulters, but as this entailed a considerable amount of work, the Engineer suggested that it should be carried out by the Council's solicitor. The Council were unanimous in the opinion that something should be done to force those who are in a position to do so, to have their properties connected with the drainage at once, but some leniency.should be extended to those who were not in a position to pay. It was suggested that the Oounoil carry out the work for the latter class, and reoeive payment in small instalments* Finally, a motion, was passed, authorising' the Mayor to deal with several defined oases where the occupants of property could not afford, t<i have the drainage connected.