494 The Public Health. [ Oct., 
New Allen Street, and their manufacturing business is carried on 
artly in the streets of the town, at the houses in fact, and partly 
at these depdts. The nightmen pick over the contents of the ashpits 
when they empty them, wisely distinguishing between “rubbish ” 
and “manure.” The latter is conveyed to the depots, the former is 
tipped somewhere, anywhere where it is permitted. Arrived at the 
depéts, the second stage of manufacture is performed. At one depot 
slaughter-house refuse is*mixed with it, and the stench there is 
perhaps as horrible as any that can be conceived on the face of this 
otherwise fair earth! The street-sweepings are also sorted. From 
certain streets (those paved with square-sets) they rank as “ manure,” 
which is stored, whilst that from macadamized streets is “ rubbish,” 
and is got rid of somehow. In order that the Corporation may 
carry on their business more snugly, they have purchased property 
about the depots, so there is no chance of their own nuisance in- 
‘spector finding them out and troubling them with summonses. 
As we have said, they drive a great trade. They have their 
travellers out on the main lines of railway and one in Cheshire 
who sell “on commission,” and send home plenty of orders. Should 
the admiration of our readers for the Manchester Town Council 
make them anxious to have a transaction with them, we may 
mention that their dry manure may be purchased at 1s. 9d. and their 
wet at 1s. 3d. per cubic yard. ‘ 
There are just sufficient water-closets in Manchester to pollute 
the water-courses, but not enough to make it worth the while of 
the Council to embark in a new line of business and sell the sewage. 
The rivers and canals are as fertile sources of disease as any of the 
other open sewers to which we have referred. 
In many parts of the town the same deficiency of conveniences 
exists as in the other large towns, and the inhabitants are thus 
taught the filthy habits wpon which they are afterwards lectured. 
There, as it might be expected, the smoke nuisance is very great, 
and adds to those already referred to. There are acres of houses 
which should be pulled down; badly-built cottages, where over- 
crowding is added to bad ventilation. A large proportion of the 
lower classes is, of course, as much addicted to drink there as else- 
where, and as they earn high wages, they have greater facilities for 
indulging in debauchery. In many cases their pleasures are un- 
worthy of the name, and their money is squandered in momentary 
indulgences, whilst their houses are pig-styes and their families 
half-naked. Mr. Edward Brotherton we believe it is who states 
that education has retrograded in Manchester, and upon its decline 
a crowd of evils has arisen. 
Of course we are not now condemning the whole labouring 
class; and if we were dealing with the other side of the question 
we should be able to adduce much that is noble and creditable. But 
