The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1871-02-28 00:00:00

DORCH&H'ER LOCAL BOARD.

A meeting of the Corporation as a Looal Board was
held on Wednesday morning. Present—The Mayor
(Mr. T. Bennett), Aldermen I'. Coombs and H. Look,
Councillors J. F. Hodges, J. Bishop. and W. Slade.

LO6OllllO HOUSE 9.

AidoMBSO COOMBS called attention to • case of over-
crowding in • small house, through as many as seven
and sometimes twelve men being taken in as lolgers.
It seems that the Sanitary 41.1 t, 1866, empowers the
Lical Board to regulate lodging houses, but no rules
have been framed.
_ _ . . .

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Cann, moved that the Town Clerk he requested
to report at the neat meeting what omit be done on
the subject. and this was agreed to.

DIAIXAOL
Alderman WOMBS mowed that the Surveyor prepare
a return of the notion served, on occupiers of houses
for compulsory drtinage during the la.t firo yearo, and
elite bat been done therein.
Carted.
1110 RATES. 101 WAPITI Or WATCH.
_ .

The Aminoe Committee recommended • general
district rate of Is. 7d,, and a water rate of 61. in the
pound.
On the motion of Mr. BISHOP, seconded by Mr.
LOCK, these rates were ordered,
Alderman COOKSe remarked that one penny of the
district rate entirely arose from the deficiency of the
water rate to meet the expenses, in eonsequetice of the
undue consumption of water; and he must say that
he was mach disappointed with the action of the
Surveyor upon that point. Because he (the Surveyor)
told them there was • very great quantity of water
need, that there was leakage, it went on time after
timo, vet he sat there and simply said the exceos was
WOO gallons, or 330,0e0 gallons a week, as it hap-
pen. d. They must have much stronger action than
had yet been taken to discover the leakage. It was
impoasiblc for them to go on in this way, now they
ought to be making money. They were told when
they laid oat £2,000 on the works that they should
have plenty of power, and should have • surplus from
the rate; but, they now found, that on the past
year there was a deficiency of £6O. There must be
one of two things—either there must be a something
wrong in their system of valves and closete, or else
there was such a leakage that it was impossible the
man, whose business it was to look after
theee things, could avoid finding it out if be
but once bestirred himself in the matter, and looked
fairly and properly to his ditties. SOM9 steps must be
immediately taken to check the enormous waste—
there must be some potion on the part of the Surveyor—
he did not know what the out would be if they
passed over the paying of a penny rate for water which
was simply dribbled down the drains and gutters. He
should move that a committee to be called the water
committee be appointed who should take charge of the
water accounts and the regulatim of the water woks.
They should meet at least one. a month, and get
rentinuous report from the Surveyor and with him
endeavour to ascertain the cause of the great loss
now sustained. He said—and without any hesitation—
there was great apathy on the part of the Surveyor in
retard to the leakage. He told them it existed, but
seemed unable to suggest the least remedy. If it occurred
In the closets, that Gould not escape common observe-
tion ; if it arose from a defect in the system, and Mr.
Jewett could not explain it, let them cell in somebody
who could, and try If the present state of tillage could
not be altered. When there was • waste of 200,003
gallons a day he thought he wee perfectly in order in
moving for • committee, and he would add that they
have power to get the advice of any consulting engineer,
If they think it nesessary.
Mr. HODOIS quite agreed with Mr. Coombs as to the
necessity of turning their attention to the subject, but
he suggested as this was • smell meeting that it be
made a notioe of motion for the next meeting.
Mr. COOKES said if they were sure of having a meet-
ing soon he would do so, but the matter was important
and fairlT arose out of the report. Al one moans of
ascersaining where Vie waste occurs, he suggested
dividing the town into districts and isolating them one
after another.
Mr. Honors said he should move at the first step
that they ascertain the qnantity of water reslly
pumped. He had noticed that the Surveyor's report
from time to time gave very different figures and it
occurred to him that the calculation might be based on
a theory, that because the engine hod worked so many
hoar. there must have been so math pumped. They
wanted the quantity accurately tested.
The MAYOR said that showed the importance of hav-
ing some competent person to assist in the inquiry.
Mr. COOllBB said he wished the water committee to
act in the same way as the Directors at the gas works—
meet to look at the amounts, and see what was doing,
and in this cue try to find out how arises the waste of
water. They were losing £l6O • year, for they were
£6O out of pocket, lasted of which they ought to be
making £lOO a year.
Mr. BISHOP said there could not be two opinions in
the Council aatothe propriety of the course Mr. Coombs
suggested. At the aline time, he questioned whether
they ought to found their opinion on the consumption
of one week which was exceptional. (Mni Lock:
no, no). He maintained that was the Gage ; for
while Mni Jewett reported 500,000 gallons for one
week, the following seven days required only 300.000,
and the former was stated to be exceptional on
aincount of the bursting of water pipes after the frost,
and through people keeping the water running to
avoid getting the water in the pipes (toren.
Mr. LOCK said their best tort as to the loss was the
moonlit' for the year, which they now had.
Mr. COOMBS said he did net found his calculations
on the exceptional week Mr. Bishop mentioned,
but he took Mr. Jowett's statement that here
we pumped 330,000 gallons, while Weymouth
with a larger population only-used 180,000. He now
gave notice of his motion or the ocencnittee at the
next meeting.