HH62/2/LANARK/17

Transcription

[Page] 16

evidently for convenience of throwing rubbish into them,
and to save expense, but I must confess that I have
been puzzled to explain why they should so often be
dug below the level of the surrounding surface. The
condition of some of these "conveniences" is not infre-
quently loathsome, and must lead to nuisance being
committed in the fields and lanes, and even to the retention,
for some time, of offensive matters in the houses. When
the accumulations of weeks and months are being removed,
after being exposed to the action of rain and sun, the air of
the neighbourhood must be literally poisoned.
Destructive criticism is generally easy, but to suggest a
remedy often difficult. In this case improvement can only
be carried out on certain well defined lines. In the first
place the comparatively huge structures must give place to
small well-built closets and ashpits, all roofed over, and
with watertight floors in both closet and ashpit. They
ought to be so arranged that the ashes and excreta will
readily mix. Above all, and here we are face to face with
the greatest difficulty, they ought to be emptied before
putrefaction sets in, at least once in every fortnight, pre-
ferably once a week. Plainly, this can only be accomplished
by a properly organised system of scavenging, involving
the disposal of the refuse after its removal, either by
"destructors" - a wasteful process in country districts - or
by utilising as manure, or by a combination of both, as is
carried out with more or less success in many towns in the
North of England.
In view of the improvement likely to take place in the
water supply of the county, the question of providing what
are called waste water-closets might be worth the con-
sideration of many proprietors. Several forms are in the
market, and those I have seen in operation compared most
favourably with even the best forms of the ordinary privy.
This applies more particularly to the "tumbler" closet
which possesses an arrangement by which it can be auto-
matically flushed.

[Page] 17

I believe that the time will come when what is called
the "conservancy" system - that is, practically, the privy
system - will be abolished in all but the smallest rural
communities, and that the immediate removal of all refuse
matters will be made compulsory.

Pigstyes. - Pigstyes are not infrequently found at no great
distance from dwelling-houses, and as they are often
roughly constructed of wood, and not, as a rule, well
kept, their presence does not add anything to the charm
of the neighbourhood, except in the eyes of the owner of
the pig. It is scarcely fair, however, that while one individual
gets the benefit of the bacon his neighbours should have
only the nuisance. Certain bye-laws such as are common
in every little township in England, regulating the distance
at which these erections should be placed from dwelling-
houses, are extremely desirable.

Drainage and Sewage Disposal. - With the exception
of the Special Drainage Districts, the county generally is
very imperfectly provided with suitable drains, and stagnant
ditches and filthy pools are too frequently met with, although
their number is being steadily reduced by the efforts of the
sanitary staff. The introduction of a proper water supply
must of necessity make the question of drainage in various
localities an even more pressing one than it is at present,
and already populous places like Larkhall and Strathaven
are setting their house in order in this respect.
The purification of sewage is a problem, in some localities
at any rate, extremely difficult of solution, and yet one
which, in view of the agitation regarding the pollution of
rivers, must be faced.
As a rule, where suitable land can be obtained, the best
and least wasteful method is by irrigation farming. Where
this cannot be done, then what is known as intermittent
downward filtration through soil gives the best effluent.