404 APPENDIX. [No. XXXVI.o. 



Sewage has had so poisonous an effect on the river Thames that 

 where fish formerly abounded none are now to be found. Within my 

 memory flounders were caught in abundance between London and 

 Southwark bridges. At Erith abundance of fish used to be caught, but 

 now it appears that the river there is void of fish. Lamperns are now 

 only taken by hundreds where thousands were formerly caught, and eels 

 are gradually disappearing. 



Sewage-grounds are to be employed solely for the purpose of sanitary 

 protection. All questions of cost must be subordinate to sanitary science. 

 Sewage-grounds should never be employed except in the absence of better 

 methods of disposing of the sewage, and when used should be regarded as 

 a necessity, to be placed under the most stringent regulations, to protect 

 the health of those exposed to their influence, and to protect damage to 

 property which may arise from their vicinity. 



The idea of profit from sewage-grounds is fortunately now exploded. 

 The real object is to get rid of the sewage at the least possible cost, and by 

 the least objectionable method, and if judiciously used the value of the 

 produce may tend to diminish the expense of the abatement of the 

 nuisance, and that is all which is possible to be effected. In some cases a 

 subvention from the town may be necessary to get rid of the sewage. 



Sufficient experience has been afforded of the properties of sewage- 

 grounds to enable us to settle the chief points which are required to be 

 enforced for their proper conduct, and it is manifestly desirable to obtain 

 a legislative enactment that they may be so controlled that they may inflict 

 a minimum injury on the health of the adjacent inhabitants, and the least 

 possible depreciation of the value of the neighbouring property. 



If sanitary science be true, then is the principle on which sewage- 

 grounds have been hitherto conducted false ; and if the principle of the 

 present conduct of sewage-grounds be true, then is all known sanitary 

 science false. 



The usual plan which is adopted for the location of a sewage-ground 

 is to select a spot in a district away from the town to be cleansed, so that 

 in fact the nuisance is simply transferred from one district to a second 

 which has no voice in the management, and the residents of which are 

 powerless to help themselves against the encroachment. Thus Croydon 

 cleanses itself, but pollutes Beddington. Croydon has no interest but to 

 save expense to itself, whilst Beddington has to suffer from the parishioners 

 of Croydon. 



This manifest injustice might be remedied by requiring a majority of 

 the ratepayers of any other parish to concur in the establishment of a 

 sewage-ground within its district. Should a sewage-ground be formed in 

 any neighbouring parish without such leave, a fine might be inflicted of 

 100 a day. The fine may appear large, but the irrigators having to deal 

 with the funds of the ratepayers would take no heed of small sums, unless, 

 indeed, it was enacted that the persons violating the order should pay the 

 amount of the fine from their own pockets, when probably a much 

 smaller fine would be adequate. At present the sewage is no more disposed 

 of by carrying it from one district to another than if the housemaid of one 

 house were to throw the refuse over the wall of her master's house into the 

 garden of the adjoining house. 



When a sewage-ground is proposed to be located, the scheme should, 



