The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1871-06-27 00:00:00

PORTLAND.
DRAINAGE, LIGHTING, REPAIRS, AND

GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS TO BE
EFFECTED.
EASTON POND TO BE FILLED UP.
A special meeting of the Portland Local Board was
held on Thursday afternoon, to receive and eonsider
a comusonication from the Losal Government Act
office, with the report of Mr. J. T. Harrison of his
inquiry at P.rtland.
Mr. T. Taylor. writing to R. N. Howard, Esq.,
enclosing Mr. Harrison's report says: lam to request
that the Local Board will show cause why, within
one month from the date of this letter, an order
should not be issued, as recommended by the in-
spects•r. It may be worth while for the Local
Board to bear in mind that the obligation to remedy
the evils complained of, which is imposed on them
by the Sanitary Acts, may strengthen their hands
in any appeal they may nialto to the Officio of
Woods and Forests, as to " Her Majesty's Grant,"
and in any application to the Freeholders' or any
Court, as to the application of the " Common" money.
The report of Mr Harrison is a lengthy document,
but, of snare. his conclusions are the important part:
and, as we reporte 1 the inquiry at groat length, we
may be excused again reverting to the facts then °slab-
liahed. especially as the Lona! Board's meeting is so
close upon the time of our publishing.
The Inspector considers Captain Hains'a eon plaint as
to want of drainage well grounded, and says am of
opinion that the Load Board should be ordered to
prepare, and carry out, without delay, a complete
system of sewerage. with ample provision for ventils.
tine and puridostion of the sewage, for Fortune's
Well and Chiselton. This sewerage should be designed
to carry off the slop water, and the rain falling on the
roofs and yards at the back of the houses. I am of
opinion that water closets should be diseoursged as
mush as possible. SY there is no probability of such an
ample supply of water as is nee :hoary for the satisfac.
tory working of lb* water-carriage system. The Local
Board should enforce the construction of properly
constructed privies and ashpits these should both be
is 'Tema Over, and thi receptacle under the privy
should be made watertight., and the ashpit shonld be an
' err suged that the ashes (screened) should fall upon the
excrements. Thi Local Board sh iuld also make pro-
, vision for the systematio removal of the contents of
the privies and adipit,. The asAnt should be planed
• as far as possible from the dwelling, and no water
should be thrown or allowed to soak into it."
As to the road through the town, be consid.rs Copt.
Haans's request that it should be repaired with more
durable materials and that more labour 'honk' be ex-
pended in the repairs reasonable, He proceeds:
'The footway is eerisinly very dangerous in several
place, and the Local Board should be ordered to make
it safe. This they can easily do by fixing a simple but
strong iron railing on the kerbstone of the footway,
where it is raised tronsiderably above the roadway, or in
some instances by lowering the footpath." With regard
to Captain Haines is =plaint that the streets are nob I
lighted with gss, he says "In my opinion it would add
greatly to the comfort and safety of the inhabitants if
the roadr, which are much frequented. were lighted at
night during the winter months. The fourth statement
made by Captain Heins is that there is not any supply
of weter to the houses except from wells, and that the
system of carrying water in buckets on hoops, in most
eases by small children. is dangerous to foot passengers
and carriages, as the children are constantly falling and
upsetting the buckets. Captain Heins is frilly justified
In directing attention to this matter, and the Local
Board should be ordered to by down pipe' with stand-
pipes connected to them, in numerous places, so as to
remedy the evil complained of; but I oonsider the
question of water supply for Chiseiton and Forsune's
Well demands the most serious attention of the Local

Board."
The Inspector says the evidenoe of Captain Elaine
and Dr. Carruthers, shows the wells are polluted, and
proceeds—" In • case like this when the only poesible
supply of water. so limited (for a supply brought from
a distance is quite beyond the meths of the inhabitanta)
every precaution should be taken against contamination.
All the sewage from the Government Establishments
and from houses situated above the springs should be
carefully carried away in water tight pipe., so that it
could not sink into the porous subsoil. and all cesspools
should be emptied of deposit, carefully filled in. and
properly oonstructel watertight ptivies and 'slinks
substituted for them. The cup of Portland stone,
lying to the n4rth east of the town, is in reality • natural
rev rvoir, %Wall should be carcfelly guartiod against
pollution.
" Besides taking precautions against pollution, the
Local Board should endeavour to husband the supply
by forming reservoirs at the springs.
" Upon this and other points the Board should pro..
ours the advice of a competent Civil Engineer, at I am
of opinion that at • moderate cost they might improve
the quality of the water supply, and greatly add to the
comfort of the inhabitants.
" Many of the houses ere supplied with large stone
tanks, which are watertight and covered with large
stone slabs ; in these the rainwater falling on the roots
of the houses is collected, and used for many domestic
purposes. When the tanks are kept clean, and the
water is filtered, it forma an excellent supply for all
purposes. The erection of tanks of this description
should be encouraged."
"The principal plea advanced on behalf the Local
Board, in reply to Captain Hains's complainta, was
poverty. This plea may be round as fax as it goes; but
It should not be permitted to prevent the carrying out
of works so important for the comfort and health of
the inhabitants, as the main drainage, and improved
water supply undoubtedly are works which, above all
other'. the Local Board was formed to carry out.
WLen a well-considered system of drainage and
water supply is prepared, the Local Board will have
nodiffioulty to obtaining sanction for a loan, to be re-
paid in 30 years. and the annual sum required would
not f dl heavily on the ratepayers."
After node:nog the rateable value of the Island, the
rates levied by the Loral Board, the amount collected,
and the expenditure, the inspector observes that "the
sum expended upon the repair of the highways. to-
gether with a relative proportion of the establishment
charges, amounts to £1,400 or three-fifths of the total
expendieure (exclusive of the expense of obtaining the
Ant.) As this item so largely preponderates, the adop-
tion of the Local Government Act is a decided &sell-
vantage to the house ratepayers. sines the land, instead
of paying at the same rate as house property, to wards
the repairs of the highweys, pays now only • quarter
of the rate. This must set misehievolisly, not only
in predjueing the poorer ratepayers against the Local
Board, but in preventing the adoption of those
measures of town improvement for which the Local
Government Act wits specially intended. Under the
Highway Act there is provision for compounding, whir*
diminishes the burden on the poorer Glass of house

property.
TM view of the question is even more striking when
it is observed that the roads require the extraordinary
outlay of £33 per mile per annum, over the entire
length (14 miles &icily in ooneequenoe of their nee
forth. land an the quarries, and that the land and
quartile together pay only shout ith of the satire
rates in average years. The hardens of the ratepayers
of radiant are esesidsrafir roflss& by Hoe Majely's