TOPICS OF TALK.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 310, 6 February 1875, Page 3

TOPICS OF TALK.

A "Veet pertinent question was put inflate issue of a contemporary as to where all the filth of the up-country 'towns jrooa to? Disregarding the teething" pollution allowed to lie at our own doot »ickeniug in its disgust- . ing effluvia—let us ask the same question ut' the Naaoby Inspector of Nuisances, and the officer in charge of the police at St. Bathans. Where dues all the fi.th—contents of cess-

pools, privies, and the like—go to? The answer will be, W© suspect —that . that is beyond the remotest concep- / ti<>n of any Inspector of Nuisances or • officer in charge. The truth ia, these cesspools and privies are never emptied ; or, if there are exceptions, the exceptions are the worst offence—for, from the necessity of the cases in the town houses, any offensive matter removed is placed too close, or perhaps, in such a position that flood water in the tailings or back drains would diffuse the nuisance over a large area of ground in the immediate vicinity of other houses. Would it not be better for our towns not to tempt disease any longer, but to take what human means arc possible to keep infection away? The moat deadly Beason is now coming on, when the' autumn mists and damps will in the heat of midday be perpetually rising iu the shape of vapor, loaded with the germs of disease, in every breeze being distributed to lodge in the linings of *very badly ventilated house and bedroom ; and thuß, together with the carbonic acid gas with which Much . i rooms are charged, Bowing seeds of disease—not, perhaps, immediately apparent, but to be too evident afterwards in many promature and quite preventible deaths. The Naseby Council Bhould consider the necessity of at xmce insisting on the closing of all open cesspoola, not allowing any more to be opened. It would be no hardship to enforce, the employment of earth closets, and make arrangements for a nightman to go round and remove all offensive matter at regular periods. There ia quite enough risk run in the open stagnant sewerage without tempting Providence by other quite preventible neglects. St. Bathans might do something by the organisation of a Sanitary Committee, which would have the sympathy and support of the police. Residents at Naseby and St. Bathans should be able to procure chloride of lime at reasonable rates for disinfecting purposes. One other question and we have done —should pigs be allowed on front aections to streets ?

IFbom the telegram published in the * Guardian' and ' Tuapeka Times ' on the 27th, giving news from Copktown , to-the ,20th ult., it appears to be not very delectable at the Palmer. The deterrents will no doubt be thought less of in a short time, when men use the necessary precautions, and drop into the suitable modes of life; ■ but at present the prospect is not pleasing, and many will how their bonoß in the Palmer district before their accumulative experience is sufficient to enable others to get out at least personal risk the gold that is obtainable. At present Mr. J. C. ISrown's evidence ought to be enough to prevent New Zealanders going. !They, coining fresh from their cold climate, havenochance ot'escape. An old Queenslander, or Sydney native, with not half so good a constitution, will escape, while the Otago miner would be certainly struck down. Mr. Brown ■ays :—" The miners from New Zealand suffer most, and many are dying."

Huxfkdih A thenamm meetings are 'becoming notorious for their disorderly character. The annual meeting last week was no exception to the rule. Mr. Stout complained of the exclusion of works on theological grounds. The Kev. Mr. Stanford replied that the whole matter was merely a maggot in the imagination of Mr. Stout. °Buch was the spirit different members of Committee met one another with, determined to air once more their long ago fought-out battle. The question has no interest up-couuifcry. It mattorß nothing to those out of Dunedin 'whether Dr. Thomas' (whoever he'may be) life and works are excluded or not -Wbut there are some things in the management of the central Athenaeum which indirectly do affect us, although not contributing a sixpence to the •fundsj it might be thought we should liold our tongues. The last year's 'Committee have, at one and the same time, admitted youths, tobacco, and cards—which is merely driving the ' ;devil from the free table in the reading room to the card and smoking room. Of-'the 1000 members supporting the Athenaeum any number find their way • up the country, where moral restraints are not eo plentiful, and then we innocently enough reap the fruit of the ~ mild freak of the Committee. Our own Athenaoum in Xaseby is too .dead A thiDg to imitate anything bad, good, or indifferent—although one or two geniuses are to be found already, even there, to monopolise the porch (not the books) on Sunday, and with legß on orout oftho window, to annoy with their stares the less obtrusive passers-by. Truly, ere long these genuises may rke to a card-table too.

"Why should not ahort-aentence priaonens in Naseby Gaol be placed on the roads? The district is debited -with the expenditure of the police in it. Why not then be credited with the indirect labor arising through its maintenance? If there were other employmeut fop- pn*eners it would -be a different tbmjfe If their- labor. was of value an saving expanse--in. (jfcoyerujnefit works it liquid; not be, thrown

away. As it is, prisoners in the Camp —let the gaoler do his best —really play at work —something like the. old sheep station game with the hands in winter :bime : dig a hole and then ;fili it up again. It may be said that those sentenced for any length of time are sent away to Dunedin orTuapeka, and that the work of the short-sentenced priaonera ia immaterial. It is, however, just that occasional day or two's work here and there that is so valuable on roads. An application in this direction was lately made by the Mayor* but was not, we understand, favorably received. In Tuapeka prison labor is placed at the disposal of the Council free of charge—the Corporation of course supplying extra rations as required. It is not very clear why such a very sensible arrangement could not be carried out on all police stations in up-country towns what a farce to send a man down to Dunedin for the last twelve days or so of a two month*', sentence, as was done the other day.