CITY GARBAGE DUMPS

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22110, 4 June 1937, Page 7

CITY GARBAGE DUMPS

TO THE EDITOB OF THE PEESS. Sir.-In dealing with the question of "disposal of refuse." you are evxdenUy-not too sure of the outcome. I do not think I am ungenerous in terming your article nn "iffv" one, as there are five pronounced ifs. We do not want to disparage "reflect upon the City Englneer.who no doubt is sincere in his belief in the scheme. Well, give it a trial Park next to the tennis courts adjoining the river and road. There is already a dump being worked there, and. as we are assured no possible harm can result, it is an Ideal site for an experiment. Expert, differ, and the evidence we have is absolutely against dumping filthy garbage. We know that once experts have tneir way and get a scheme going, they will do their best to justify it. We are told that certain towns in England have proved that rubbish dumps can be made and kept as pure as a lily; in fact, that the areas are suitable for hospitals afterwards. This is the yarn that is spun by bumbles whose passion for saving the rates has become an obsession. On thf other hand, former residents from those self-same districts have a different story to tell, and our own knowledge of local dumps compels us to agree with the latter. The destructor site was a dump once, and an eye-sore, too. People did not worry about germs, or rats, or anything else The destructor was built by business men who, evidently, were believers in perpetual motion. They thought it would last for ever, and never dreamed it might want overhauling sometimes. Later, hydro-elec-tricity came along, with the Municipal Electricity Department in its wake. Baths were built, tanks erected, and all linked with heat and power from the destructor. Because the destructor had become such an important unit, and so useful, it was found difficult to do anything by way of installing up-to-date smoke-abat-ing inventions, because of the disorganisation which would result whilst the destructor was cooled out and refitted. -No committee has been keen enough to tackle the job. It was talked about in Mr Dobson's time, but how far they got I do not know. I am sure that the citizens of Chrlstchurch would be interested in the history of the destructor if Mr E. Hitchcock would be kind enough to furnish it I have been assured that all smoke and dust nuisances from the destructor car be overcome by closing it down for three weeks to enable the necessary alterations to be made. If this Is so. it would be very bad business to dismantle it, because I am convinced by practical experience that, there is only one safe way of disposing of garbage, and that is by burning it. I would like to ask if there are any men in the district who would welcome a garbage dump, a la Galbraith alongside their own fence?— Yours,' etc., HIRAM HUNTER. June 3, 1937.