STREET WORKS AND SCAVENGING,

Evening Post, Volume LVIII, Issue 72, 22 September 1899, Page 2

STREET WORKS AND SCAVENGING,

«■ SOME SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS In complianco Avith a resolution posjsed by the City Council, on the motion of Councillor Devine, on the 10th August last, the City Engineer (Mr. Rountlnvaitc) reported to tho Council last evening on tho system of carrying out street works and scavenging. Tho report stated that it Avas, the multifarious small avoids requiring attention day by day, and which necessitated tho employment in each wse of perhaps only ono, tAvo, or three men, which made it imperative that tup city be divided into sub-districts, with a foreman for each district to take control of, and to bo responsible to the general overseer for all labour. It should meet the case if three sub-districts Avere formed, with a working foreman, or -leading h,a.nd to each, Avho, Avhcn not absolutely engaged Avith a gang, should make it his business to travel over the, whole of his district as frequently as possible, doing himself what he could without assistance, and reporting to the overseer daily upon matters requiring addjtiohal assistance. Ovpr all night work there should also be some reliable supervision. Every effort -should be made to reduce the present large cost of road formajtion. This must be apparent to everyone when ho stated that it Avas costing the pi^y for every cubic yard of broken first-class metal laid upon its streets übout 11$ as against 4s 3d paid at Christchurch foi: a better material. With this object the Engineer had been endeavouring to obtain better motal and other supplies. U-" use of tv stone-brenking machine it Avasr hoped to savo something like Is 9d per ton. Tho Council Avas urged to at once oraer a road scarified for attachment to the l-oller, as such a machine Avould do the necessary breaking up much better and much more quickly and cheaply than hand ' labour. Regarding the removal of hpuse refuse, tbeve was no bylaAv regulating the kind of receptacle to be used, npr its position in relation to the house; nor was it even made imperative that there should be such a recoptacle ut all. The Engineer therefoio advised that a bylaAv be framed to require the provision of refuse receptacles ; to regulate the construction of such receptacles ; and to regulate their position relatively Avith the house or premises, and Avith the street. At present the ashes, garbage, and other refuse Avere in most eases exposed to the wind, rain, and sun, Avhioh Avaa distinctly prejudicial to the health of the community ; and in wet weather when the contents of the boxes are saturated the cost of removal, of cartace, and of burning was very seriously increased. It was desirable to impress upon all occupiers the necessity of themselves burning as far as possible all vegetable refuse in their kitchen grates. * Councillor Tolhurst moved the adoption of the report. Councillor Fraser seconded the motion, expressing his gratification that action was about to bo taken to put these works upon a better footing. , Councillor M'Gill quite approved aj the suggestions of the Engineer in his report. In many ways the heat of the Destructor could be utilised to advantage. Councillor Murdoch, while approving of the suggestioni generally, thought the Council would do well to get a quarry of, its own, do its own crushing, and obtain its street metal much cheaper than at present. Councillor Winder thought the. men working at night ought to be better, paid. As to metal, ho believed good cheap metal could be obtained from Christchurch. Councillor Townsend. said he had noticed a great deal of time wasted under the present system of scavenging, and ho welcomed the system now proposed. He considered that too mush was paid at present for road metal, and he thought there should be something better than the present system of hand-breaking of metal. He Avas inclined to believe that good metal could be found somewhere round about .ington, or at any rato nearer thari* Nelson (tho Mayor having stated that the City Engineer Avas going there to make enquiries about metal). Councillors Izard, Luke, Smith, and Barber also spoke in favour of tho report, tho latter stating that the reason there was so much hand-breaking of metal was that by employing men in this work the Council was helping men who might otherwise bo a burden upon the city's charitable institution. The Mayor said that every effort to obtain metal within the city had been, exhausted, and with a view to see what could be done the Engineer went to Christchurch and he wad also to visit Nelson and Motueku to see what could be done, Jirovided satisfactory transit could be ound. As to the removal of refuse, 'he thought the time had como when the Council should supply suitablo receptacles and also Avater meters at a small charge. As to utilising the heat of the Destructor us suggested by Councillor M'Gill, that would be done in time. The report was then adopted.