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SANITARY MEASURES.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE ADVERTISER.
Sir,—I was much pleased to see by one of
your leading articles of this morning that
you strongly advocate the adoption in
Geelong of the same system as has been
recently decided on in Melbourne,-viz., the
letting the night work of the town to one
respectable contractor, duly bound to fulfil
his duty to the entire satisfaction of the
Board of Health. At the present time the
cleansing the back yards and closets is
carried on by anybody who chooses to pay
his license money, whatever may have been
his previous character—even a conviction
for felony has not the effect of taking away
his right to follow his malodorous occupa-
tion, and the business is only considered fit
for men of the lowest stamp, mentally and
morally. Now every townsman of Geelong
would hail with satisfaction the adoption
of a system in which a respectable and re-
sponsible man was entrusted with the duty
of entering their premises at all hours of the
night. There are many other occupations,
in every town which, are attended with un-
pleasant effluvia, besides that of nightmen;
butchers' offal, for instance, though allowed
to be carted in the open day, and under the
broiling sun, is quite as unhealthy as night
soil. In many instances on account of the
cost every plan is adopted to save the ex-
pense of the nightman. Some cowkeepers
are in the habit of disposing of a few
buckets out of the closet in the manure,
which is then carted in the open day.
Stablekeepers, of course, have the same
opportunity, and doubtless many others.
Now if the system adopted in Melbourne
were introduced here, we should have at
least a great deal more cleanliness, for it
would of course be a matter of indifference
whether the premises were cleared of the
offensive matter every year or once in
three or four years, when it was just the
same cost to the occupier. The soil at
the present time thrown into the sea at
Limeburner's Point would, if stored up,
and properly manipulated, be an invaluable
boon to the farmers, and in a few, years
would pay the expense of its removal; and,
besides being utilised, would tend to keep
off King Death, either in the form of fever,
diarrhoea, or any other miasmatic infection.
Hoping that the council will take immediate
steps for the forthcoming years,
I am, &c.
ARGUKENTUM AD CLOACAE.
ChILwell, Dec. 8, 1869.
$