The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-01-18 00:00:00

THE ENGINEERING OF THE IX/RCHESTEg

BOARD OF HEALTH.

To the Editor of the Dorset County Erprese mut
Ayricultural Gazelle.

Dorchester, Jan. 7, D 169.
Ste,-1 have read with some concern the reports of
the proceeding* of our Town (*mined, acting as the Local
Board of Health for this borough, on Monday last, and
in onimion with many ratepayers think the time haa
come for us to beetle ourselves and prevent as far as pee'
amble any further wasteful expenditure. Before I pen-
eyed may I ask why it lame in few other members of
the Council were present at the meeting on Monday f
There aie those who solicited the suffrages of the her.
genies, and who promised on their election to attend te
the duties of their office, who were absent; and there
are others who have had s trust deputed to them,
from the high opinion their fellow townsmen enter-
tented of their abilities, who rarely or ever attend the
council business. We have a claim on these gentlemen ;
they have aeoepted the trust, and think it would be better
for them to retire and give up their mate at the
Board rather than render their appiointment a nonen-
tity. But to the object of toy addressing you—and
beg the attention of all interexteil reelecting what pima
on Monday. The meeting, it appears, ass called •' to
receive • report from Mr. Whitehead," which revere
urea net fortheoinine. A discussion then appear, to,
have arisen on the supply of water in the well, the blow-
ing up of • portion of the sewer, as to ehether thes
Board could borrow more money to complete the same,
Ice. After discussing these several points—on the
which I would say a word or two presently—it was
intimated that the period had arrived, and itw r neer
eery to call in further engineering aid to carry or this
works. I ant glad, Sir, no discussion was come to en
this head, and that the appointment of engineer for
the completion of the works was deferred until another
meetiug of the Board took place. There has, in my
humble opinion, hitherto been • lamentable deficiency of
skill and judgment on the part of our engineer, and I
look upon the accident at Tubb'e Corner and the bad con-
struction of the sewer throughout as attributable to the
circumstance of no proper provision being made for the
invert-block to rest on ; and I believe no ten yank of
lie sewer will he found to be perfect from Tubb's
corner to the louden below Stanton's manufactory.
How could the springs lift the invert-blocks after being
laid, the brickwork and earth, wawa/feet in thickness,
being on them ? 'Tis • preposterous absurdity, and I only
wonder • gentleman of Mr. Whitehead's reputation
should endeavour to impose such a fallacy on the un-
denitending of others. I agree with couueillor Devenish
that the works have been improperly constructed; at
the same tiine I do not think it possible for the con-
tractor to lay the invert blocks properly on the plan re
had to work by. I ant now giving an opinion of the
twirl:reek of the sewer. I believe that instead of the
invert blocks being lifted tot tile springs it will be found
the fragile joint of cement by which they were attached
to each other hea been broken by the " superstructure'
above them, thereby depressed, and leaving an &Forster°
between the blocks to admit the water from the springs
into the sewer. I regret to observe that Mr. R'llitehead
it the sole referee between the Board or himself and
Mr. Dodson, and, considering the opinion he has ex-
pressed, I am afraid we shall have to eubinit and put up
with an improperly c-nstructsel sewer, and that we rate-
payers have no redress. Before involving themselves
deeper with Mr. W. let the Board take • retrospect of
the past, re what blunders throughout, and how when-
f, rmed the Board have been. V. hat personal attention
did lie give the works during their construction ? How
' near simroximating to the expenditure have his esti-
been ? The pumping of the water for driving the
headings in the well (which headings were intended to
serve as a reservoir for our supply of water, but ern-
vat. d bee in the well that the water cannot be
intoned up), wss eetimated by Mr. W. to coot CIO, and
the sum demanded for the performance of the work is
within • trifle of Vital, We are told the £ll,OOO is ex-
' vended, and we liver there are liabilities, heavy 111
amount, yet to be met. It is all very fine to talk of
•• ,/,,,,ei,0e1,," " per:erect are," ie., mid no doubt very
&lineable to pocket "to per ei of. iuc oullop," to be
paid for a " report." and to receive one's " frarelhey
W hen the day arrives fur the appointment
14 the engineer to carry out the " private sanitary
work," I trust the Council will meet as a body and act
feerlesidy and independently ; if they consider Mr. W.
.toeurving their further euppert, him. but it
otherwhee, tut them endeavour t.• procure the services ef
another engineer, if one can be found to work on such
" dap 4. Menet ere" as lies leen prepared. I should
Inter observed on the water supply, but I fear I have
already extended nip mime he to too greet a length,
but I have felt it incumbent on me, Sir, to /meek out,
and I hope, if not intruding SOO much on your rale•
able epee., yeti will give Ole hotter Insertion In your
paler.

1 reinaln, Sir,
I ..ur elenhunt servant,
A RATEPAYER.

PROTECTION TO TRADES.
T the Editor qf the Dorad &pen awl
Agrkulletrat UweM.

Witi'borne, Jan. II!.

l)gt Silt, -Whilst you would at all dimes
cato that wind' was unmistakeably for the good of
our trailing and agricultural intonate, I am sure you
will accord rue a brief space for the purpose it
cautioning those respectable branches of dm mumu.
nity against the " clapdrap " at present held out by
the prospectus"s now being industriously circulated
in your and this locality, professing to yield unnum•
tiered benefit' to creditors. A prospectus of one of
these " respectable " associations lies before me, and
without going into detail AS to its " Parr or Murisin•
iaii" appearance, I will merely draw attention to
two lines only of this very Moe document
" When the coatis are not obtained from the
" debtor, the wily charge to the subscriber is the
"actual iliebureementa made by the solicitor in the
" prosecution of the case." !Surely a tradesman cal
trust an attorney whom he has proved to be respects.
ble, in preference to unsought aid from an unsigned
prospectus.
Then there are guinea subscriptions necessary to
the participation of the several department* of ad-
vantage, and a weekly Gazette, at .C 2 2s. per annum,
to be taken in.
Much as hap been said against the admirably•con-
structed police force, relative to their employment of
" spies," I know nothing so totally un.F.nglish as
the propagati .... of such a secret system of cepiorusge
which these protection societies hold out AS their
attractions. It goes to the very vitals of wend life I
Who knows but what my most intimate friend is
the mere tool or agent of one of these societies, and
that all " confidential" inquiries (another branch of
the society) are made at the expense of honour amid
good faith?
That there is much to be said and lamented about
bail debts and their prevention, nobody denies; but
the really sensible and respectable traders of the
community know that "lieu debts" are necessary
evils to get good ones, and that "connection." tr.,
tc., operates almost without avoidance in the con-
tracting of both.
That the joining of any such quack remedies as
that propounded by an itinerant vender of a pros-
pectus now afloat, will work disadvantage to all
traders, permit me to quote the admirably shrewd
and practical remarks made last week by Mr. Judge
Gale at the Southampton Court :
His Honour snit, before the ordinary cases were called
on he wished to mention that his attention had been
called to societies said to be constituted for the purpute
of recovering debts, and the officers of which were in
the habit of issuing circulars or letters to debtors en
behalf of the members of the society, giving notice thaa
if the debt were not paid by a certain time • swum( as
would be issued in the County Court, and asking for
rum of money for writing the letter. He believed that
such siocities were perfectly illegal, and that the mem-
bers and attorneys connected with them were liable to
be indicted for maintenance, as it would be grievonalf
unjust if a debtor were to be met in a court of justice
not by the plaintiff only, but by the fund., of • wealthy
body like those to which he alluded. It was objection-
able on another ground, viz., that it was a great inter.
ferenee with the duties of attonwya, who were, in the
exercise of their profension. subject to the proviaions
stringent laws, and it would be quite against the Fehr/
of the law if that pnifousion should be exercised by per
-
001111 attempting to discharge the duties appertaining to
it and not being liable to the same pen•lties. Ile had
grave doubts whether, in actions conducted by such
parties. he should not nonsuit the plaintiff. on the
ground that the action was illegally conducted : at ..7
rate lie should, if he found that any interference *An
the business of the attorneys of the court had been
attempted, most certainly disallow the plsintirs vott
in every such We. He would just add that it was
exceedingly impolitic for any tradesman to join such
society, a, in that ease it would be unwise to do busi-
ness with him, because if any dispute arose the al—
tomer would not only be met by the plaintiff hut by
the whole society. He for one would not have anything
to do with a tradesman who was • inember of such
society.
Two leading members of the bar expressed their grati-
fication at his Henoui's remarks and otnnion ; Ind M.
said that there were two or three such societies
about, and he bad been applied to to become air!r
attorney, but be refused to Ilea anything to do with
there.
It is clear that after this no attorney of an
position or credit would disgrace his pnifessioe bY
representing such a species of imposition upon tba
unwary and unwise.
Your obedient Servant,
F. W. F.

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Printed and published for the Proprietors by JO"
BARTLETT ATILINR. a Fordiri Hill, Dorchester.
Printer, at the °Moe of The art (Snotty 7-rPmf.
Church Street, Dorchester. -Tuesday, January, 1809
1859.

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