No. 7.
REPORT OF PROCEEDINGS
OF THE
PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE
at a Meeting held on the 25th November, 1901.
PRESENT:
The Honourable the Director of Public Works (WILLIAM CHATHAM), Chairman.
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the Acting Colonial Treasurer (CHARLES MOILVAine Messer). CATCHICK PAUL CHATER, C.M.G.
Dr. Ho KAI.
JOHN THURBURN.
115
1. Refuse Destructor. (C.S.O. 1987).
The Chairman read a letter from Dr. ATKINSON, President of the Sanitary Board, to the Honour- able Colonial Secretary as to the success of the destructor in use at Singapore. He also read the application which had been made to the Singapore Government for information, together with the reply which had been received, and pointed out that, as the Commissioners had requested the patentee to visit Singapore and advise upon certain details, it appeared to indicate that the destructor was not working entirely satisfactorily.
He then read an advertisement from "Engineering," in which the Corporation of Calcutta invit- ed tenders for the erection of two incinerators, one of the conditions being that, should the incinerators fail to consume the refuse satisfactorily and to work without causing a nuisance, the Contractor was to refund to the Corporation whatever money he had received and remove the incinerators at his own cost. This appeared to indicate that the success of incinerators in Eastern Cities was still prob- lematic. He stated that plans were being prepared for a crematorium for the destruction of the car- casses of cattle dying from disease, and it was proposed to erect one chamber in conjunction with it for the destruction of plague réfuse.
The Committee were unanimously of opinion that these structures would meet the requirements of the case, and adhered to their former opinion as to the disposal of the ordinary daily refuse of the City.
(1).
2. Precautions against the Harbouring of Rats. (C.S.O. 29)
1901
The Chairman read the correspondence contained in the above paper, including a minute by the Medical Officer of Health, in which he advocated covering the concrete of ground floor surfaces" with a layer of tiles in order to prevent the access of rats to dwellings.
The Committee considered it unlikely that rats would penetrate through the layer of concrete with which all ground surfaces have now to be covered, and there was no evidence before them to show that such a thing had occurred. They deprecated any change being made at present as owners have so recently been compelled to carry out the concreting of surfaces at great trouble and expense, and considered that, if a change has to be made, a layer of cement rendering would be preferable to tiles, which speedily become hollow and are thus apt to retain moisture and dirt.
The Committee then adjourned.
Laid before the Legislative Council this 5th day of December, 1901.
R. F. JOHNSTON,
Acting Clerk of Councils.
W. CHATHAM, Chairman.