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may be raised to night-soil carts going through the streets by day. The answer
is, which is safer for the inhabitants: that they should have their night-soil putrify
-ing all day long close to their habitations, or be exposed to the temporary
annoyance of meeting a night-soil cart? Besides, if a night-soil cart smells, it is an
evidence of carelessness. Water should be provided at the place of deposit and
filling, and the cart should be thoroughly washed before leaving either. So little
offence was noticeable in Bombay from these carts, that children have been observ
-ed chalking on them as they were passing along the road, mistaking them for
water-carts. The pit system adopted is not a good one. A very large surface
is exposed, which scents the breeze for a long distance. I think Genda Mal is too
near the town, and should be glad to see a site chosen at the distance of at least
a mile away from it. If the returns supplied by the Civil Hospital are trust
-worthy, the wind blows less frequently from the north-west than any other
quarter. I should, however, be disposed to doubt the accuracy of the observations,
but it is clear that the northern site of the town is the only one to which the
filth can be removed, as on the west, south, and east there are no sites procur
-able. I would prefer a site to the north-east, but none such, I am informed, is
available. Instead of the pits now in use, I think that the system which obtains
in the North-West Provinces might with advantage be adopted. "Trenches
two feet wide and one foot deep being dug at intervals of a foot, 3 inches of night-soil
are put into each and then covered with the original earth. A field once thoroughly
manured in this way will produce a succession of crops of different vegetables
if sown in proper rotation." If such a system as I have indicated is carried out,
the strength of the halalcores and of the night-soil carts will have to be increased.
In Bombay, it is found that a bhangi can only keep 20 houses thoroughly clean;
but allowing that the 28 men are enough to clean the 1,040 existing privies, there
should be at each depôt a cart, so that the number of night-soil bullocks must be
somewhat increased. They now make 11 trips. Then they would have to make
25; but it is presumed that one pair of bullocks might easily work 2 carts, so that
the increase, except in carts, need not be large.
51. The Municipality has done well in providing so many public necessaries,
but I think even more are required. In my opinion the inexpensive open ones
Mr. Moore has had put up round the Sadar Bazar are very good, as they entirely
screen persons using them from the public view, and they can easily be shifted.
52. The removal of the surface garbage demands immediate attention.
It is now simply not done. The potters send in their donkeys when it suits them
to do so, and remove as much, or rather as little, as they please. The contract
system, however convenient to the Municipality in saving trouble, is utterly
opposed to every principle of sanitation and to the best interests of the inhabitants.
It is the contractor's interest to get paid as highly as possible for doing as little
work as he can. Here the potters simply do not carry out the terms of their
contracts, and only the mildest measures are put into force to compel them. In
the meantime, the health of the inhabitants suffers. The Municipality should at
once provide itself with a staff of carts and road sweepers.
53. The town for conservancy purposes should be divided into not less
than 2 wards, and if, as I suggest, there is an Inspector over the whole town,
there should be a Sub-Inspector in each ward, which should be sub-divided into
sections, over each of which there should be a Mukadam, and to each Sub-Inspec
-tor should be told off a certain number of coolies and carts. And then it will be
possible to fix responsibility. If a street is found dirty, the Mukadam should be
fined; if it be found dirty a second time, he should be dismissed, and the Sub-In
-spector should be fined. Sub-division into sections over which there is a respon
- s i b l e h e a d , i s o n e o f t h e g r e a t p r i n c i p l e s o f s u c c e s s f u l p r a c t i c a l s a n i t a t i o n . T h e
refuse should not be allowed to be deposited in the town, but should be taken to
the place of the night-soil deposit, and there burnt. Each householder might