Page 303 - Reading Mercury

On his person was found a purse, which had been identified by Mr. Weight’s
servants as stolen from that gentleman’s house when it was broken into about a month
ago, and a small tortoise shell-handled knife, also found on him, has been identified as
having been stolen at the same time. The instrument he had in his possession
evidently for forcing open windows has been found to correspond exactly with the
marks left on the premises he visited here. Williams was a tailor, and there is no doubt
that whilst working here a short time ago he made himself acquainted with the
premises he subsequently visited.

MILITARY MOVEMENTS
A number of troops have passed through the town this week on their way to attend
the manoeuvres on Salisbury Plain. On Tuesday a detachment of the Army Service
Corps was billeted here for the night followed on Wednesday by the Headquarters of
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the 12 Lancers with their band, and on Thursday by a detachment of the 10
Hussars.

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Sat 14 Sept
THE SEWAGE QUESTION
This important subject has again come before the ratepayers in consequence of the
passing of “The Public Health Act, 1872,” which has transferred the power from one
Authority to another. In order to explain matters, it is necessary to refer to what has
been done since we published the Report of Mr. Harrison, the Government Inspector,
in which he strongly condemned the want of drainage, and also the quality of the
water.
Shortly after that report was made public, the ratepayers within the Special Drainage
District elected a committee of nine members, under the provisions of the Sewage
Utilization Act. The Committee directly set to work, and inspected the town and
suburbs, and caused the removal of nuisances which were found to exist, and also
framed a set of bye-laws to be set in force in the district, ordering the removal of all
refuse, with stringent clauses, giving powers to the Inspector and Justices summarily
to convict any one guilty of a breach of these rules. These bye-laws they submitted to
the Local Government Board for confirmation. The Committee also obtained from
Messrs. Ripley and Simmonds a very complete and, as they believe, effective plan for
the thorough drainage of the town and disposal of the sewage, including a supply of
water for flushing purposes.
After many meetings and careful attention to the subject, the Committee has been
superseded by the provisions of the new act, which transforms us into a Rural Sanitary
District, and places us under the control of the Board of Guardians to whom have
been delivered all the plans of estimates and papers obtained. It being the opinion of
many that the sanitary government of the town can scarcely be adequately attended
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to by the Guardians, a meeting was held in the Town Hall on the 5 inst. To consider
the matter, when some were anxious to form the District into a Local Government
Board, but as the subject requires much consideration, and will probably have an
important influence on the future well-being of the town, it was decided to adjourn the
meeting for a fortnight, and it will be well for the ratepayers, in the meantime, to
ponder well the matter before Thursday next.

1873

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