THE New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY). FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 1887.

New Zealand Times, Volume XLX, Issue 8167, 19 August 1887, Page 4

THE New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY).

FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 1887.

With which are incorporated the Wellington Independent, established 1845, and the New Zealander,

Although the more immediate interest of the political crisis and the pending elections has for the time diverted attention from the sanitary question in Wellington, this latter cannot long be ignpred, and will inevitably force itself once more upon public notice so soon as the warm weather again sets in. The sooner, therefore, that the City Council can take a definite departure in the direction ot sanitary reform the better. The report received by the Mayor on the cremation process, as applied to the disposal of refuse—of which report,we publish a summary in another column—appears to offer a valuable contribution toward the solution of this serious problem : What shall we do with our rubbish ? If the answer is to be: “ Burn it! ” the most serious difficulty will be to a large extent solved. And that is, of course, the money question—as usual. It is not easy to see how £150,000 could be found to carry out the Clark scheme, but assuredly a few thousands could be easily raised to establish a “ De- - structor,” if the efficacy of this instrument be really what is claimed for it by its advocates and attributed to it by the reports under notice. The great end to be aimed at is the getting rid of our refuse with the utmost possible rapidity and completeness. It is idle to build any hopes on sewage-farming, or any fancy scheme of that sort. Such methods may occasionally answer in other countries under particular conditions, but they are quite unsuitable to a colony. . If we could despatch our refuse quickly and Inexpensively to the sea, that would be the simplest and best method. But we cannot do this. The distance is considerable, and there are troublesome natural features to be overcome by costly devices of tunnels, rising mains, And pumps. If, on the other hand, we can merely shoot our rubbish of all kiuds into a “Destructor” furnace,and have it there consumed in a swift and economical way, that is the next beat thing. We are very sanguine as to the feasibleness of the plan, and wo have never regarded the fear of a nuisance being created by the burning as other than an idle dread based on incomplete knowledge of the method employed. Mr Higginson’s full reports will be looked for with great interest. Should they corroborate the statements already received from other sources, the citizens may fairly congratulate themselves on a most formidable difficulty having been satisfactorily settled. Wo entertain great hopes that the solution of the -terrible sanitary problem which has so long been a hopeless puzzle to our municipal rulers will be found in the use of the “ Destructor.”