13

In the same way there would be—

   49. This amount, we may consider, is passed now every day, and from the
description given above, it will be seen how miserably small is the amount remov-
ed. It would undoubtedly be cheaper, safer, and better in every way if the Muni-
cipality had an unlimited supply of water to lay down glazed stoneware pipes as
sewers to carry away all the night-soil, the urine, the ablution water, and the
water fouled in domestic use once and for all, and to apply this excellent fertiliz-
ing material to the land. It may be worth while to mention that the glazed
stoneware pipes are laid down in Bombay at the following rates per running
foot:—

It would be interesting to know what the cost of giving the town a perfect
scheme would be, and I recommend that it be worked out.

   50. In the meantime some immediate action must be taken to improve
matters. First, to speak of the privies inside houses. None such should be
allowed; they should all be detached, as I am glad to say the majority are.
Next, their construction is bad and requires to be altered, as whenever urine
falls upon lime fetid ammoniacal products result, which are highly offensive and
dangerous. Mr. Arthur Crawford, the present Collector of Ratnágiri, has
invented a privy for natives with iron foot-rests and a corrugated iron shoot, so
that all the filth produced is received into an iron bucket. No fouling of the
privy or in the rear is possible, and I am informed that such a privy with one
seat can be put up for Rs. 30. This is a perfect system so far as health is con-
cerned, as it secures everything being carried away; but it is an expensive one,
in so far that you have to carry away the urine and ablution water in addition to
the solid fœces. It is, however, necessary in Satara, as there are no drains from
the backs of privies to carry away these matters. If there had been, I should
have recommended that ashes of burnt town sweepings should be applied to the
solid matter, and so removed; but the quantity of fluid now to be found would pre-
vent this system being adopted in its entirety, though the ashes might be thrown
into the basket. I must just remark that the basket used by bhangis here is
a very bad one, as it simply consists of the common bamboo round basket into
which leaves sewn together, which have been used by Hindus as dinner-plates
are placed. These baskets will not hold water. The Bombay pattern cannot be
excelled. It consists of a wicker basket about 2½ feet high, about 18 inches broad
at the top, tapering down to about a foot at the bottom. Being cowdunged with-
out and inside, it is water-tight, and easily carried on the head when full. It
should be covered with a wicker cover. The public latrines might be constructed
either after Mr. Crawford's system, or, until pipe drains are provided, the ashes
of burnt town sweepings might be applied to the solid matter. The present
system is disgusting to the last degree, as the filth remains in the wooden cask,
putrifying all day long in the vicinity of houses. An iron cart should stand out-
side each privy, on a paved surface, which should be drained; and a triangular rest,
such as is used in Bombay, should be placed under the yoke, so as to keep the
cart level. An iron funnel should be placed in the opening by which the cart is
filled, and the fresh night-soil should be deposited in it at once without being put
into the cask at all, and when the cart is full, it should be driven away. Objections

   B 273—d