71 
their share by disposing of their refuse matter into the 
streams. The consequence is that not only are the waters 
more polluted, but their beds are being continually raised. 
Single towns on the banks of streams have little power to 
alter matters, there are so many vested interests to be dealt 
with. Numerous owners of property have by law what is 
called a right to foul waters by long user, and it will require 
strong parliamentary powers to effect any good. The owners 
of the numerous weirs will have to be compensated prior to 
such obstructions being removed and allowing the waters of 
the streams to flow and cut their courses as they once did. Be- 
fore any great engineering works in the making of tunnels 
are attempted it is only reasonable that the streams should 
have a fair chance to cleanse themselves by their own natu- 
ral flow of water. Manchester and Salford could try what 
the removal of the weirs at Douglas Mill, the Adelphi, and 
Throstle Nest would do. Surely such a simple experiment 
is worth tr^dng before hundreds of thousands of pounds are 
spent in forming tunnels. 
However, let Manchester and Salford spend what money 
they may, little good will be done unless the pollution of 
the waters above from their sources downwards to those 
towns is stopped. No doubt those towns set a bad example 
in the beginning, but as all the places on the streams are 
more or less guilty, they ought all to make a fair start toge- 
ther in the race of amending their evil wsbjs of fouling 
streams and wasting manure. 
Tf once the foecal matter of a large town is diluted with 
water it is very costly to get it back again either by evapo- 
ration or sewage farming. Rival patentees advertise and 
recommend their respective plans as most efficacious, but at 
the present time he was not aware of the whole of the 
sewage waters of any large town in England having been 
profitably applied for farming purposes. 
