HH62/2/LANARK/62

Transcription

[Page] 61

manufacturing operations." Mr. Tatlock reported in
similar terms.

Drainage. - In the Middle Ward there are special
drainage districts, in some of which, however, no action
has yet been taken to carry out the purpose for which
they were so constituted.
In Avondale there is practically no proper system of
drainage, although Strathaven, the only populous locality,
was formed into a special drainage district in 1887. A
well-devised scheme, however, has been approved of, and
will, it is expected, be shortly carried out, if not in its
entirety, at least in part. As the situation of the village
lends itself to good drainage, and as an essential part
of the scheme is a large sewage farm, I anticipate for
Strathaven a very great benefit from the proposed
undertaking.
Blantyre was constituted a special drainage district in
1875, and, at considerable expenditure, a fairly comprehen-
sive scheme was carried out. As in many other parts of
the Middle Ward, subsidence of the surface has taken place
from time to time, causing considerable damage to the
drains, and necessitating additional expense. As the
village increased the drains have been extended to meet
the requirements of the new buildings.
Bothwell Parish is a very large one, and a great part of it
is drained by means of open gutters running parallel to
the miners' cottages.
The villages of Bothwell and Uddingston, both of which
are almost entirely residential suburbs of Glasgow, have
been constituted special drainage districts, and possess
fairly good drainage systems, although, in the latter
especially, there are many defective traps, and a want of
flushing appliances.
Bellshill, also in Bothwell Parish, is a special drainage
district, although the extension of the drains has not kept
pace with the growth of the village.

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Cambuslang. - The village of Cambuslang, containing a
large proportion of the inhabitants of the parish, forms a
special drainage district, and possesses a well arranged
drainage system, on which some improvements have been
made during the year. The villages outside, however,
possess no proper drainage system.
Old Monkland. - The only special drainage districts in
this parish are those of Baillieston and Mount Vernon. The
former has experienced considerable difficulty from inter-
ference with the drains by the working of the minerals
underneath, and in some parts it is still unsatisfactory.
The latter includes the villages of Mount Vernon, Carmyle,
Broomhouse, and Barrachnie.
With these exceptions, and that of Stonehouse, which,
although not a drainage district, has a good drainage
system, the rest of the Middle Ward is drained, where it
is drained at all, by the open gutters already described.
These, when well constructed and having sufficient fall,
answer their purpose fairly well. In many instances,
however, the material used has been unsuitable, and the
workmanship careless, so that stagnant pools and polluted
soil are not by any means infrequent, and give rise to the
conditions referred to in the part of the report dealing with
diarrhœa, enteric fever, and diphtheria. No attempt is
made at purifying the sewage before it enters the
streams.

Dairies, Cowsheds, and Milk-shops. - Towards the
end of the year the necessity for having well-defined
regulations for dairies, milkshops, and cow-sheds was
brought before the District Committee, and a Sub-
Committee was appointed to consider and report upon
the draft regulations which I had submitted. These, with
some few alterations of an unimportant character, were
ultimately adopted by the District Committee. Even with
the provision of 400 cubic feet of space for each cow, I
anticipate a great improvement in the condition of the