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(n) All water-supply statistics should, in the future, be arranged by the water-year, commencing 1st May, and not by the calendar year. () The project for supplying Hongkong with water from the New,

Territory need not be contemplated at present..

(p) The newly acquired territory should be carefully examined as regards gathering-grounds and reservoir sites. These when settling the land should be reserved forthwith so that, when required for Hongkong, for the New Territory or Kowloon, they may not be found in occupation.

SEWERAGE.

INCLUDING HOUSE-SEWERS.

56. The Separate System of sewerage has been greatly criticised; but I have the separate never as yet seen or heard any serious and logical objection to it. Suffice it, there system. fore, to say that, were I to design the sewerage works of Victoria again, I should, in all matters of principle, introduce the identical system. I have introduced the separate system, in two tropical towns, namely, Kingston, Jamaica, and Port Louis, Mauritius, and I have never had any reason to regret so doing. Works on the same principle are now well advanced at Port of Spain, Trinidad. Before these works were commenced, the Hon. WALCH WRIGHTSON, C.M.G., M. Inst. C.E., the Director of Public Works, Trinidad, was, at my suggestion, sent to Jamaica to inspect the Kingston works and make enquiry as to their working. He consulted, not only the persons in charge, but also unofficial medical practitioners, many of whom were much opposed to sewerage of any kind, and on his return, he adopted, without modification, the plans that I had prepared.

which my

ations have

57. It is alleged that the Government have neglected to carry out my recom- As to tho mendations with regard to the sewerage works. From conversations which I have extent to had with various persons, I have come to the conclusion that this allegation recommend is due to the fact that my Report of 1882 was published as a Parliamentary been carried Blue-Book and has been largely circulated. On the other hand, Reports, written in 1889-90, have not received so much publicity.

out.

mendations as to

58. In a Report on the Drainage* (Sewerage) of the Lower Western and Central Recom- Districts of Victoria, addressed to the Honourable W. M. DEANE, C.M.G., then Acting Colonial Secretary, I find the following words (para. 5):-

sewerage

made in 1882

subsequent

"The methods for the improvement of the drainage (sewerage) of this cancelled by

"and other districts; suggested in my report of 1882, have not been reports. "tried. This is fortunate, for my subsequent experience leads to

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the conclusion that they would not have remedied the evils which "existed then; and which exist still."

This report, therefore, and others of the same date (1890), virtually cancel all the recommendations, as to Drainage and Sewerage, which I made in 1882.

Separate

system and

59. In the next paragraph (para. 6), of the same report, I indicate the "Separate System," as it has been called, in the following words "It will now be necessary to "re-sewer the whole district, with earthenware pipes; and to divert the sewage proper, to which it

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the degree

can be

in practiee.

or dry-weather flow of the sewers, from the storm-water channels, which are not, introduced and cannot be made suitable for its reception. The existing stone channels, therefore, should revert to their legitimate use, the conveyance of storin-water, "from the surface of the district, and from the hills above it." This sentence sums up in short the principles upon which the whole Sewerage System has been designed and constructed. It expresses, in a few words, the difference between the present system, and that which I suggested in 1882, by which the existing Storm- water Drains would have continued to serve as Sewers, as well as drains; an arrangement which I and, I believe, the majority of engineers, now utterly condemn.

1

*The word sewerage should be substituted as more in accordance with modern nomenclature.