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A.-No; all of them east of the Harbour Master's office have tide-valves.
753. So taking all these things into consideration, the fact is that this one below Richmond Terrace is a sealed tube at the top end.
A.-It is not a sealed tube, it is full of perforations.
754-But at the top it is sealed.
A.—At the very top; the terminal section between Caine Road and the street just below, that is the only section that is sealed.
755.-Taking these two facts together it is just possible people might have trouble there, but when you get the shaft up above and the valve below, it will cease?
A. The moment the shaft is open of course there will be a through current.
756.—That seems to me to explain a good deal of the trouble, that the top is a sealed tube, but there is a shaft made at the present moment to carry the
gas up the hill.
A.--It has been up some months, but is not connected yet.
757. And there is the absence of the flap or valve at the outlet to the sea.
A. But still I would remind you of the perforations all along the whole line.
758.--But these are not made for the purpose?
A.-But they are the most efficient ventilators you could have. They are objection- able because they bring the effluvium into the public road.
759. But they are valved.
M
A.-No. There are a great many Street gullies trapped and valved, but I am referring to those of this sewer in particular; they have no valves or traps, so the sewer has perfect ventilating communication throughout with the external air.
760.-Then only at the top is it sealed?
A. Yes.
761.-Is there to be any means of ingress to the sewers-manholes?
A. That is a large question. I ought, to explain to you that it is not intended to continue the present large underground channels or conduits as foul water drains. The plan for the drainage of Victoria comprises the gathering of all the house sewage into separate glazed earthenware pipes, which will enable the sewage to be sepa- *rated from storm waters, and the present channels will remain for the storm water.
762.--So we will have two systems, one for sewage and one for storm waters; but in the meantime there is no means of subsoil drainage.
A.-Subsoil drainage can be provided for, either by turning it into the storm water drains or under certain circumstances into the foul water drains.
763.-Would you say that West Point is a wet district?
A. It is unquestionably. You only have to look at the topography of the ground to see that.
764.-Does the subsoil drainage find its way into the main sewers
A.-No, I think it percolates broadcast.
765. So there is no means of carrying it off?