182 president's address — section I. 



emanations from a damp svirface charged with the impurities caused 

 by the constant passage of animals or by those same impurities in 

 the shape of dust. The cost and the slipperiness of bituminous 

 pavement usually hinder its use. Wood pavement comes next in 

 healthiness, and it, upon comparatively level ground, and stone 

 pavement on steeper gradients, are practically the best. In the 

 cities of Europe every year sees a large development in the use of 

 wood pavement, and as these colonies have large supphes of the 

 woods most suitable for the purpose, it is much to be desired that 

 the streets of our towns should give examples of what these woods 

 — such, for instance, as stringybark — can do in the way of furnish- 

 ing a good paving material. The administration of the streets of 

 Paris is probably one of the best in the world. It exercises the 

 strictest economy ; but, in its ideas of true economy, public health 

 and comfort and convenience are considerations as well as expendi- 

 ture of money. It has about 10,500,000 square yards of street 

 surface to take care of, of which about 7,500,000yds. are paved in 

 stone; 1,750,000yds. are macadamised; 380,000yds., chiefly foot- 

 ways and gutters, are asphalted ; 640,000yds. are wood pavements ; 

 and a small poition is yet unmade. The extent of stone pavinjj: is 

 slightly decreasing, that of macadamised road is decreasing by more 

 than 30,0UOyds. a year, and that of wood paving is increasing at 

 the rate of 60,000yds. a year. This is a striking fact, as wood 

 paving is much more expensive to keep in repair than stone 

 pa^^ng. The yearly cost of street repairs and cleansing, exclusive 

 of interest on first cost of construction, is about Is. 5d. a yard tor 

 wood paving and macadamised surfaces, Is. Id. a yard for asphalte, 

 and 5^d. a yard for stone paving. 



The next point is : What is the best method to keep roadways 

 clean ? I think all experience shows that street sweeping and 

 watering and the disposal of the sweepings are best done by a 

 direct municipal service, without the intervention of a contractor. 

 Ordinary street sw^eepings have usually some manurial value, and 

 can usually be easily disposed of, either untreated or mixed with 

 sewage skidge or other matters ; but as the collection and disposal 

 of house refuse are most economically done at the same time as 

 those of street sweepings, 1 will say more about the matter a little 

 further on. 1 believe also that your attention will be specially 

 called to it by Mr. Hardy during our meetings. 



Legislation on the subject of noxious or offensive trades has 

 thrown considerable responsibility upon local boards of health. 

 The classification of these trades into groups, something like the 

 three classes into which French law divides them, would facilitate 

 the proper dealing with the whole subject, and allow of the con- 

 solidation of the provisions of such Acts as the Alkali Acts in 

 England and of the various Acts connected with the public health 

 in respect of all noxious trades. The first class of the French law 

 comprises trades that must be worked at a distance from any 



