THE DISPOSAL OF NIGHT-SOIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 8985, 24 February 1888, Page 3

THE DISPOSAL OF NIGHT-SOIL.

TO THE EDITOR* Sib,—ln regard to the conditions attached to the proposal by Mr. Casey to the City Council for removing the night-soil into the country, there needs, as you say, careful consideration. Mr. Casey has his view of the matter ; but let us also see how it looks from the citizens' side of the question. The extra charge has an innocent look enough—in pennies, but a simple calculation will show what it would really mean. Auckland is said to have a population of 60,000." One box to every eight persons (I do not know what number of boxes are in use, but think one in eight a low estimate) would give 7500 boxe3, and the additional penny per week for this number would mean £1633 Ss a-year in excess of the present charge, out of the pockets of the people for the benefit of the land of one individual. Now, if instead of the whole strength of this excreta of 60,000 people being crowded into a narrow limit of land, creating thereon an undue richness or rankness of soil, it were converted into a valuable, but innoxious and portable manure, a very large area might be benefited. Two courses suggest themselves to me, whereby the public may have either the night soil service free, or that the city may generally benefit through effecting improvements in land. First, the formation of a company to retort the nightsoil and pass the gases into water, lime, or other media, , thus manufacturing . chemical manures. Second, that the City Council take opportunities to purchase land near the railway at a low price, and after improving it by the sewage deposit, sell it, and buy again further unimproved land. This is probably Mr. Casey's plan, as land might be bought for 30s an acre, and sold again after being brought up by sewage dressing, to be worth, perhaps, £30 an acre. The money value of the sewage of a town is variously estimated to be from 6's to 10s lOd per head of population per annum. The mean .of these estimates would give the value of Auckland sewage as £25,000 at year.—l am, &c., Thos. Dawes. February 22, 1888.