7. "On the Draining of Towns, and the Results of having Outfall Drains within Sydney Harbour," communicated by W. R. E. Brown, Registrar-General. (Transactions, p. 260.)
Mr. W. T. L. Travers said we were indebted to the author for bringing this subject forward. The water referred to as being supplied to the ships in Wellington, came from a stream at the back of the Terrace, and is not the same as that now used by the town.
Mr. O'Neill did not think it fair to compare Sydney with Wellington as regards the sewage, the harbours were so different. The great drawback to Sydney was the bad water supply, narrow streets, and bad ventilation.
Colonel Leckie drew attention to the evil effects of discharging the sewage into the harbours at Bermuda and Gibraltar.
Mr. J. T. Thomson approved of the system advocated in Mr. Campbell's paper (vide ante, p. 29). The water-closet system was of modern date, and only experimental. In Dunedin, the pail system was adopted, with removal of the soil by steam barges, and the plan would, he thought, be the best for Wellington. Manufacturing towns should have a special system.
Mr. Wallace considered that the drainage of Wellington must go to the sea, but the deposit should be collected in brick receivers which would hold the sediment, the latter to be removed without going into the harbour. This plan he illustrated on the black board.
Mr. Campbell remarked that the paper and reports contained most valuable particulars of the difficulties occasioned in Sydney by adopting a bad system of sewage. If Sydney was situated on the sea-shore, there would still be a nuisance from the close proximity of the sewer. The City Engineer advocated the emptying, by pneumatic vans, of those cesspits which had still to be used, which was probably the best means that could be adopted. The reports appeared to show an inclination towards the separate system. The Melbourne pail-system did not appear to be a success under the present mode of management. The result would probably be different if the pails were numbered and a regular record kept of each, and one carter and one guard provided for each cart; also one inspector to every four or five carts, as at Rochdale, and bed-room slops not permitted to be thrown into the pails.
Dr. Newman thought that, into whatever harbour sewage was discharged, it would pollute it and be dangerous. Mr. Wallace was quite wrong in his theory about the tanks. The most offensive part would not remain at the bottom. However great the scour, it must be taken a long way off.
Mr. Crawford said he was quite prepared to take on his land all the manure of this kind for 1,000 years to come.
Mr. Brown, in reply, quoted extracts from reports against Mr. Wallace's plan, bearing out what Dr. Newman had said against it.
The following papers were taken as read:—
8. "Remarks upon the supposed Pleistocene Glaciation of New Zealand and Post-glacial Moas," by T. Cockburn Hood, F.G.S.
9. "On a new Fossil Bird, Anas finschi, from the Earnscleugh Cave," by P. J. Van Beneden; communicated by Dr. Hector. (Transactions, p. 599.)
10. "On the Remains of a Dog found by Capt. Rowan near White Cliffs, Taranaki," by Dr. Hector, C.M.G. (Transactions, p. 243.)
