Page:Transactions NZ Institute Volume 9 Supplement.djvu/16

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New Member.—W. R. E. Brown.

1. "On the Reptilian Beds of New Zealand," by A. McKay. (Transactions, p. 581.)

2. "On the Draining of Towns," by W. D. Campbell, Assoc. Inst. C.E., F.G.S. (Transactions, p. 29.)

Before any discussion took place, the President read extracts from an account of a new method, invented by Mr. J. Dyer, for removing house sewage.

Mr. W. T. L. Travers alluded in terms of praise to an excellent plan of disconnecting house drains, exhibited by the author, and remarked that the defect of all drainage from houses was the connection between the receptacle and the house. No connection should be permitted, and then no gases would arise. The great drawback to the pail system was that the work would not be fairly performed by the contractors, who might neglect the houses on the hills for the more profitable work on the flats. He believed in the earth-closets when a sufficient quantity of deodorizing earth was used.

Mr. J. H. Wallace considered that the most important matter was to get rid of the dirty water lying in the streets. We wanted a system of drainage that would wash away the filth in the town. There would be plenty of flushing power. The difficulty would be to get rid of the accumulation at the end of the pipes without damaging the harbour.