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openings, and accumulations of a black and very offensive silt frequently occur, which is removed through manholes. During this process of removal the smell from the sewers is very offensive, and the air is necessarily polluted.
In the course of their enquiries the Commission put the following question in writing to the clerks of the various Municipal Councils in the Metropolitan area:
"Are there separate drains for the slops and liquid refuse of the houses?"
To this question the reply, in 17 cases out of 18 was in the negative.
With regard to the 18th, I am practically certain it may be assumed that this arrangement of open gutters conveying chamber slops and other foul liquids in the open is universal.
Over a great part of the Metropolitan area the fall in the channels is fairly good, but in some parts of South Melbourne, and notably in Port Melbourne, they are of necessity laid with terribly flat gradients, and as a consequence the fluids stagnate and become a source of great offence.
Under Mr. Thwaites' supervision this state of things is now being materially improved.
It is to be hoped that in laying out any such low-lying districts as parts of South Melbourne, and Port Melbourne, arrangements will be made to prevent houses being erected with their ground floors at so slight an elevation above sea level in Hobsons Bay as they are in those towns.
The waterlogged condition of the subsoil can now be remedied only by pumping the water out of it by artificial means; it would have been infinitely better to have raised the sites high enough to provide natural drainage by gravitation.
I believe there is no necessity whatever for me to labour the open-gutter part of the question.
During the whole time I was in Melbourne I heard many expressions of disapproval of this system, and not a word in its justification, and I take it for granted that public opinion is quite ripe in favour of a radical change.
In some of the more densely populated districts, such as Melbourne City, Collingwood, Fitzroy, Prahran, and Richmond, underground sewers have been constructed to collect the contents of the open channels and convey them to the river.
The principal of these are in Swanston, Elizabeth, and King Streets, in Melbourne City, discharging into the Yarra; in Arden Street...
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openings, and accumulations of a black and very offensive silt fre- quently occur, which is removed through manholes. During this process of removal the small from the sewers is very offensive, and the air is necessarily polluted".
In the course of their enquiries the Commission put the following question in writing to the clerks of the various Yunicipal Councils in the Metropolitan ares:→
"Are there separate drains for the slaps and liquid refuse of the houses ?"
the negative.
To this question the reply, in 17 cases out 18 was in
a little dubious, but With regard to the 18th. I am practically it may be assumed that this arrangement of open gutters conveying chamber slops and other foul liquids in the open is universal.
Over a great part of the Metropolitan area the fall
in the channels is fairly good, but in some parts of South Melbourne, and notably in Port Melbourne, they are of necessity laid with terribly flat gradients, and as a consequence the fluids stagnate and become a source of great offence.
Under Mr. Thwaites' supervision this state of things is
now being materially improved.
in the future It is to be hoped that in lying out any such low lying districts as parts of South Melbourne, and Port Melbourne, arrangements will be made to prevent houses being erected with their ground floors at se slight an elevation above sea level in Hobsons Bay as they are in those towns.
The besodden condition of the subsoil can now be remedied only by pumping the water out of it by artificial aemas; it would have been infinitely better to have raised the sites high enough to provide natural drainage by gravitation.
I believe there is no necessity whatever for me to
labour the open-gutter part of the question.
During the whole time I was in Melbourne I heard many expressions of disapproval of this system, and not a word in its justification, and I take it fod granted that public opinion is quite ripe in favour of a radical change.
In some of the more densely populated districts, such
as Melbourne City, Collingwood, Fitzroy, Prahran, and Richmond, underground sewers have been constructed to collect the contents of the open channels and convey then to the river.
The principal of these are in Swanston, Elizabeth and King Streets, in Helbourne City, discharging into the Tarra; ia Arden
Street
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