The Sewage System.

Manawatu Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 7157, 7 February 1901, Page 3

The Sewage System.

(.To the Editor.)

Sir, The fact that the Borough Coi'acfl have of late gone so frequently '• into committee " in connection with the carrying out of the extended savage work, and in consequence the discussions have not been published, is one of the principal reasons for my asking you to kinc"y publish a few fie s in connection with this subject. As a matter of fact the Council have flaw appointed Mr Mestayer, of Welington (who I believe ia a very capable man) as engineer in connection with the new sewaga works, and he will visit the ■work from time to time. Mr Mestayer 'has appointed Mr J. P. Armstrong to see to the carrying out of the work, and: the Mayor and Councillors (with the exception of Cr Rawlins. who was absent from the meeting, Cr Nathan, and myself) have agreed to Mr Armstrong's • appointment. I have persistently objected to Mr Armstrong's appointment for reasons which I will give later on. I will now go back to the inioutcs of the Counoil of Maruh 19th, 1890, when the present so wage system was being- carried out, and which rciid as follows:— . "Should Mr & \mstrong employ an " assistant to supervise any work, such assistant shall be first approved of by too Council."—Mr Aimstrong objected f,o the Council having a voice in the .. appointment, and on June 18th of the

same year wrote as follows :— ? " From J. P. Armstrong, Inspector of (-.. Works. —Sir, I have the, honour to ask the favour of the Council sanctioning an additional outlay on sewage work of £1 per week towards the pay of an overseer, for I find that consequent upon my time being all taken up in setting out and general supervision, I require a working man conversant with the class of work, whoi wi'l supervise ail the petty details' and be solely responsible to me.' Two pounds per week is the minimum' rate of pay, the half of which I propose to pay myself, and consequently wish to reserve to .myself the right of appoiat- , ing aa-V dispensing with the servloia (when necesbary) bf the man employed." The records of the Council show' tlwt this letter from Me Armstrong w*,* Agreed to. Prom the foregoing it will bs .plainly seen that Mr Aruastiong (to >ise v his own words) was " solely responsible forthe-carryrng.outofthesewa"^ wi>rk.'! On November 15th of the same year, ?»fr Artmtrong wrote to ihe Council us • follows :,—" Bevv'Bge works—These works '^c completed,'wUb tbetxwption of on-3' or 'two tricing ■ matters^which wPI be attended to. There is no longer imy ■Necessity.for .keeping on the establishinenfc for supervision." This larther goes'to show that Mr Auastiong passed the work; ".■ ' ; •

Now, Sir, *on October 28th, 1895, or abdnt five years'after tho wo-k had been passed and paid for, the following report was received £/om Mr A nd-.-ew Jack, the then overseer 'of the waterworks:—" I inspected'the, sawer in langit'kei-streefc along Cuba-street, down George street, and . Main-street to . the Squrr.e, and fii.uhd.it to be in a very bad way. I blocked up the end of the sewer in Rangifkei-streeli, while the end in Main-

street was also blocked up.; I filled the

cewage pipe with water, and found the discharge from a four-inch water:main escape out of the joints or pipes as fast as the four-:tich mam would discharge Into it." On November 19tb, 1897, Mr Baatin, our present, overseer of works, tepotted as .fo.'lowa:—" With reference

to the sewer generally, I find that the pipes'have bean'put *i almost without converted joints. The five ohaiaathat

were rofexadec) in Cuba street contained no proper cemented joints,. and the shingle around the pipes was black with tlie, sewage discharged through the joints. ; It is well known that the shingle vider che town is porous, and that

rtnders: this wholesale discharge of sewage into the1 sbJDglo all the more dangerous. The same thing has caused thousands of deaths in the towns in JS;ia;land and America, and should the pwipje ia the lower parts «.f Palmerston have to resort to the wells for water to drink, I pin afraid the results would be disastrous." As recent as 11th June last, the Mayor and several Councillors ?n----pppcted the tsrwer (which had been bpened for the purpose) at the following places : - George, Fitzhef berfe, Cuba, iUoad, Main street and the Square, an 4 fouud in every case that the pipes had been pu£ in with scarcely any eminent ;a th^ jo'nts, and as the Mayor reported to the Council. " were leaking bac"y." The foregoing plainly shows (to put :ir very mildly) the very unsatisfactory

condition' of our sewage system, and the

nnoessity- for extreme caution in any future work, of the kind. Mr Mestayer,

vi his report upon the extended sewage system, makes provision that the jovjts of the pipes shall be thoroughly cemented. With the foregoing facts before them, Mr Editor, do you thir'c the ratepayors will approve of the Councf'.'s action in agreeing to the appointment of the ovp«eer of works without giving Mr Armstrong, an opportunity to prove he is not trt bianie fur the defects roftrwd to ? I think not, Sir. In my opinion tbo- Council 'is .' practically ilu-jwicg away about JEJ3OO of tlm ratepayers' • money in the manner thsy a>-e m,ii--ip'ing to carry out this work. Imu quite in uci-.ord with the CouncilV ion in having }/o'i Mr Moataycr tv report uvots the' fxtonded system ifor which v.-^s paid sometniny "ke £65), but as the c-hcui*) is m-nnly one of gravitation Iliavc nohfes'ta ion. jn.su.yiri" that Of.' owu in-xp'octor of works, Mr Bastir, xoiiltf have eucecs>sfuljy ■ superintended "the carrying oci'. of the work. In him the ratepayers h:\vc ono in whom they hnv?i every confidence, and who bus

anc «'<Biiilly c-ircied out (ill the works ho

Lrts and rtfilcnio do, arid t-iio-Council \ iv./ulii have saved n lurge t,mn to the i-iii ep»y ts. Jain sorry, Mr Editur, ihiit, I have found i. ti cssary to occupy no uiuish o? yi-ur vnluable space, but I i-ci thut i his qu t-tion is no sniali ULitp.'^l" to tli- , r>.rep;iyers It kan ••xpi'iitiitur-* cfi'lo 000 th- interest of whu'li will r-tjuire to be paid by them foe a nuuib"1!' of ynnr», and in lime tho principal wiil ceqniro m bu paid birk X>, j-4 ;i!»o rm iuipotlan' lualtrr of lunlh to the ii.'lianitaiup of our program:ivo ]3oi-'Hi<.;h. T!v r.i'cpnycrs ai'G jnsr?y entiilcd to c.p ihii; their < cpr sci-iituos in tb ■ Council tacry out the work in th-ir be-'t- inin>-«aiF. arid lU'w, in my upin:on, is nt't b inj.- dour.— I jj,ru, etc., Park, Councillor No. 2 Ward. i'As I eonsirlcr this malt r i< of :ho uiu.')si. imjiioi'tanco to ilie rati-pa.Vr rs and jiiL •.bitt-nts of our-.Eorougb, I nm a,-<king bfitJi papers 1.0 depart f-om th-if usual »ule and publish-this letter.—V7.P.J