The next question that we have to consider, having thus far discussed the subject of "what is house refuse," is the important one of the manner and place in which it shall be temporarily stored pending the visit of the scavenger. I will begin as I did in the former case by turning to the law on the subject, and find out if it can help us.
Section 40, part III., of the Public Health Act of 1875 enacts that: "Every local authority shall provide that all drains, water-closets, earth-closets, privies, ashpits, and cesspools within their district be constructed and kept so as not to be a nuisance or injurious to health."
And section 35 of the above Act states, "It shall not be lawful newly to erect any house or to rebuild any house pulled down to or below the ground floor without a sufficient water-closet, earth-closet, or privy, and an ashpit furnished with proper doors and coverings. Any person who causes any house to be erected or rebuilt in contravention of this enactment shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding twenty pounds."
The Act also gives power to local authorities to enforce provision of ashpit accommodation for houses where such accommodation does not already exist, and to frame bye-laws with respect to ashpits.
In the year 1877 the Local Government Board issued a series of model bye-laws for the use of sanitary authorities, and No. IV. of this series, which is upon "New Streets and Buildings," contains the following six lengthy clauses, regulating the position of an ashpit with reference to a dwelling-house or public-building, or to any water supply, and for the purpose of removing its contents without carrying them through any dwelling-house, &c.:—
"80. Every person who shall construct an ashpit in connection with a building shall construct such ashpit at a distance of six feet at the least from a dwelling-house or public building, or any building in which any person may be, or may be intended to be employed in any manufacture, trade, or business.
"81. A person who shall construct an ashpit in connexion with a building shall not construct such ashpit within the distance of __ feet from any water supplied for use, or used or likely to be used by man for drinking or domestic purposes, or for manufacturing drinks for the use of man, or otherwise in such a position as to endanger the pollution of any such water.
"82. Every person who shall construct an ashpit in connexion with a building shall construct such ashpit in such a manner and in such a position as to afford ready means of access to such ashpit for the purpose of cleansing such ashpit, and of removing the contents thereof, and, so far as may be practicable, in such a manner and in such a position as to admit of the contents of such ashpit being removed therefrom, and from the premises to which such ashpit may belong, without being carried through any dwelling-house or public building, or any building in which any person may be, or may be intended to be employed in any manufacture, trade, or business.
"83. Every person who shall construct an ashpit in connection with a building shall construct such ashpit of a capacity not exceeding in any case six cubic feet, or of such less capacity as may be sufficient to contain all dust, ashes, rubbish, and dry refuse which may accumulate during a period not exceeding one week upon the premises to which such ashpit may belong.