DESTROYING RUBBISH

Taranaki Daily News, 17 October 1935, Page 9

DESTROYING RUBBISH

PROPOSED SITE AT WESTOWN. EDUCATION BOARD DISCUSSION. The New Plymouth Borough Council’s proposal to erect a rubbish destructor 10 chains behind the Westown school was explained to the Taranaki Education Board yesterday by Mr. R. Day, borough inspector. After discussing the question the board decided to appoint Messrs. J. A. Valentine (chairman), W. W. Thomson. and W. H. Jones to meet the Westown school committee to discuss the proposal fully. The decision of the combined meeting will be placed before the New Plymouth Borough Council. Explaining the methods of destroying the rubbish, Mr. Day said it was intended to have deep pits for burning, with a chimney 35 feet high leading away. The rubbish in the pit would be lighted with inflammable material, household i-übbish poured in and the rubbish left to smoulder for four or five days. The heat generated was great and the material was reduced to clinker ash, l-6th of the bulk of the original material. The five or six pits to be built ,for the destruction of the rubbish would allow the complete destruction of the rubbish.

The method to be employed was in direct contrast with that at Wellington, where a forced draught resulted in scraps of paper being blown about' the streets. The new process did away with that and there was less smoke than with an ordinary copper fire. It was proposed to purchase an area of 10 acres, and the school, the only place likely to be affected, was in a position where the prevailing winds would all blow the smoke away from it. Trees would be planted and a shelter belt created near the school. The scheme had the approval of the Health Department and medical opinion. To Mr. Valentine Mr. Day said the gases would go up the chimney, but he believed they would quickly be disseminated. At Fitzroy, with a chimney only 15ft above the ground, he had experimented and smelt no trace of smoke beyond a distance of 130 ft. At Westown he did not think there would be any possible chance of knowing the destructor was there. «

Mr.- C. H. Moore, the board’s architect, considered a better site would have been on the railways settlement at Avenue Road.' ■ “That v.'ill probably, be done in the future,” said Mr. Day. Although there did not appear any chance of a nuisance being caused, it had to be remembered that the experiments so far had been made on a small scale, said Mr. W. H. Jones. Mr. Thomson said he had twice inspected the new method of burning and he was satisfied there could be nothing offensive about the scheme. There was surprisingly little smoke from the dump.