2020: DAY 5
SMH:
Editorial: - although it's a good thing that a "small army of men (650)” is cleaning up the place it's unsatisfactory that it's been necessary for so long; the public should take on the wholesale scavenging until we have a clean city.
BUBONIC PLAGUE
ONE ADDITIONAL CASE TWO DEATHS
WORK IN THE QUARANTINED AREA - 800 men now working, 1000 tons of rubbish removed from 1 block! - population of quarantined area: about 800 - "reports have reached the outer world" suggesting inhabitants are thankful their places have been so thoroughly cleaned. - Deputation to Ministers Report by Under Secretary for Works
THE CLEANING OPERATIONS CARRIED OUT AND CONTEMPLATED - led by W.M. Hughes - critical of council; it didn't act sooner; Govt needed to take over. (It wasnt first time that municipal council had been wiped out of existence and control of civic matters put in hands of 3 commissioners. - until present system of patronage done away with, no justice possible as if property belonging to prominent men, it wasn't reported on.
IDEA OF GREATER SYDNEY CANVASSED - petition from MP's and others - Letter from AMG suggesting that a day of prayer be set aside. *-
DISCUSSION IN DRUMMOYNE COUNCIL - suggesting resumption of Darling Harbour Foreshore to build new wharves with road and rail access. "Late" Premier had had this idea some yrs ago but hadn't received suport.
THE DARLING HARBOUR* SEWERAGE SYSTEM - contract is let and two-thirds completed. If you want to hurry it, employ day labour. _
MUNICIPAL COUNCIL - question of charging for removal of rubbish. Decided not to because this would provide excuse for not doing it. - number of private lanes and ways in city in "anything but a sanitary state". Council officers "could only deal with them by a bold effort and actual trespass" (Private property as a device which prevented implementation of public safety) - Board of Health Quarantine regulations being shoddily applied - persons were taken away from business premises and quarantined because they were plague stricken and identity as well as premises kept secret. When quarantined he could move in and out of quarantined areas as often as he liked. - sanitary inspectors of council had been slipshod. Prosecutions should have happened ages ago. -
BURNING HOUSE REFUSE (letter from "Cremator" suggesting that circular be sent to households asking them to burn all household refuse. Fire destroys all germs of body, while burying does not. -
ALDERMANIC INSPECTION OF A GARBAGE DESTRUCTOR. - Southgate Garbage destructor at Lewisham nr railway bridge (has large chimney stack) was visited by great number of suburban mayors and aldermen. Company allowed them to view "the internal economy of the furnace" before dome completed. Mr Southgate explained how it worked" "The interesting plan by which the gases liberated from the garbage after first contact with the furnace fire pass up and down perpendicular flues inside the dome and at various points came again into contact with the heat, and are mainly consumed before finally making their exit in a greatly changed and rarefied form up the immense stack near at hand was lucidly shown. Several of the visitors clambered down into the building and closely investigated the structures..." More hype about capacity of destructor (sales pitch) - how much it could carry -> room for rubbish of more councils. "The locality is not likely to be prejudicially affected by the gases which are allowed to escape, and in any case the site is near the open canal for surface drainage running into Five Dock Bay on a low-level place where there is not much inducement for population to congregate. It is held that the gases which will be spread from the top of the stack in the air will be barely perceptible, especially when it is remembered that the stack is to be 96 feet high. “The gentlemen in attendance generally manifested an earnest desire to grasp the details of the destructor, so that they might be able to institute contracts" in their own areas. -
DREDGING ROZELLE BAY - its filthy state. -
VIGILANCE COMMITTEE AT THE GLEBE - meeting held tonight at Town Hall.
Kent St, from Margaret St - State Library of NSW