The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-09-30 00:00:00

THE GARSTON BOARD OF HEALTH,

The Garston drainage question continues to occupy—and
properly, too—the serious attention of the inhabitants of the
district. We have already alluded to the matter in these
columns, and gave insertion to the letter of Mr. Gibbs. To-
day's NORTHERN TIMES contains another letter from that
gentleman on the same subject, and also tws interesting
communications—one from the late Mayor of Reading, and
the other from Mr. C. Dunning, of Furnival's Inn, London.
Coming, as these letters do, from men who are thoroughly
acquainted with the matter in all its practicalTdetails, it be-
hoves the Garston Commissioners to pause ere they plunge
the ratepayers into an enormous and uncalled-for ex-
pense. The doings of this body, particularly in reference
to the drainage of the township, smells very much
like a job. In this opinion we are sustained by
the fact that, when the plans were under con-
sideration, and the premium awarded, the reporters for
the press were excluded. Furthermore, it is not only a
little 'singular, but rather suspicious, that the plans
selected are said to have been drawn by a clerk in Mr.
Newland's office. This enabled the board to carry
out the preliminaries of the scheme, to which Mr.
Gibbs refers, without detection at the time. But the pro-
position was too outrageous to be allowed to pass unnoticed.
The grand objection to the scheme, which the Garston
Commissioners desire to adopt, is two-fold. First, it is
uncalled for, and secondly, it is quite too expensive ; and,
even it were carried out in its entirety, there are grave
doubts whether it be the most efficient mode of draining
the township, and thereby promoting the good health of
the inhabitants. On the first of these points, the remarks
of Mr. Brown are very emphatic and convincing. He
says :—" To attempt to apply the system of large sewers,
and the total abolition of cesspoools, is a matter that should
scarcely be entertained, except in thickly populated
districts, and where the rateable value is high, in
proportion to the area ; when the benefits would
be comparatively greater, and the expense compara-
tively less. In all cases a good supply of water is essential."
Equally strong are the remarks of Mr. Dunning, on the same
subject. They must satisfy the most sceptical that the
course pursued by the Garston Commissioners is highly
objectionable—that the ratepayers should manfully resist
any attempt to saddle upon them a tax enormous in amount
and permanent in character. Besides, as Mr. Gibbs justly
remarks, " there is nothing so urgent in the sanitary con-
dition of Garston as to cause the Board of Health to rush
into premature expenses without due consideration." If
the Board have nothing in view but the welfare of the
inhabitants, they will pause in their present career; but if
they desire to perpetrate a job, they will, despite of warning,
proceed in the construction of drains, and carry out a second
Rivington scheme. We would, in conclusion, draw our
readers attention to the letters on the subject-'in another
column.

STABBlNG.—Yesterday morning, a Manilla sailor, named
Mariano Huto, was brought before the magistrates on a
charge of having stabbed a person named Smith, in Frederick
street, who is reported at present to be in a dangerous state.
The complainant was not able to attend. Don Francisco
Tomaso, the interpreter, was present, and stated that the
prisoner admitted the fact, but alleged that he had been
insulted in the street, and he then ran with a knife in his
hand, striking at every one he met. He was remanded for
a week,