VENTILATING BAD SMELLS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XLI, Issue 6957, 8 September 1883, Page 2

VENTILATING BAD SMELLS.

(UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Dunedin, September 7-

At the Police Court yesterday, the Borough Council of Iloalyn suburb proceeded against James Durson, soap boiler and bone dust manufacturer, for having premises which were a nuisance. The Town Clerk explained that the proceedings werj taken under the Public Health Act in consequence of a petition by residents. He sud, of bis own knowledge, that the smells could be noticed 100 yards away, according to the direction of the wind. There was a variety of smells, but all were bad. There were at least three distinct smeds—(l) of ground bones ; (2) of melting tallow ; (3) of storage of refuse. Some witnesses said the smells caused water in tanks to become stagnant, that they could be “ cut with a knife,” aud that only the Government Analyst could tell what they really were like. The defendant admitted that to moat people the smell from his premises were offensive ; ho had lived beside it for years ; and had done well on it, but people who were not educated up to it did not relish it. Medical evidence was given thit, while the smells were de* cidedly unpleasant, they were certainly not injurious to health, and a witne.-s iu the trade said the smells purified the air. au I was something like that of a prime Dutch cheese. The d-rfmea wa< that the beat practicable means were used to aba*e the nuisance, and the Magistrate sail this wai proved. He dismissed the case on the ground that, though there was a nuisance, there was no statutory penalty for is.