This edition, published on March 4th 1933, has this "Random Notes" section by the Editor Edward Le Brocq. It is astonishing how wild the ideas were to do with waste disposal in an Island which had only around 50,462 inhabitants, half its present number.
It was not until 1952 that the States intervened, when St Helier struck a deal – known as the Bellozanne Covenant – whereby it sold land at Bellozanne to the States to build a waste incinerator. There were originally three "destructors" which were replaced in the 1970s by one tall chimney incinerator. It originally had two streams to the burner, but a third was added in the 1990s to cope with the increasing volume of waste. Now of course that has been decommissioned and replaced with the Energy from Waste Plant at La Collette.
It seems fortunate that most of the Parish schemes described below, especially a dump at Corbiere, never came to fruition. And an incinerator in the West and in the East never came about either! It's like peering into an alternative world!
I have not gleaned Parish figures for 1931, but there was relatively small change even in 1951, where the total was 57,296. But this gives an idea of the amount of people per parish, and hence the waste per household generated.
This population distribution is worth bearing in mind when it came to different ideas for Parishes and waste disposal.
Meanwhile, some things remain the same. From June 2019, the Colorado Beetle is still a very present threat. It is remarkable we have been able to keep it out, and hope we may by vigilance continue to do so.
"The current weather conditions mean that the Colorado Beetle, which is not established in Jersey, may be able to reach the island from France. Warm temperatures and easterly winds are forecast for today, which could carry the flying beetles over the sea." (https://www.gov.je/News/2019/Pages/ColoradoBeetleInvasionWarning.aspx)
Random notes by the editor.
Garbage.
All the talk at the moment is of incinerators and dumps. We have done with slums for the time being (nine days you know), and we are now concerned with garbage and the best manner of dealing with it. The Constable of St Helier is satisfied that the destructor at Westmount has all its work cut out to deal with the refuse of the parish, and, as a result, certain other parishes are in a difficulty.
Plenty of money.
St Saviour has solved it by deciding to purchase 6 vergees of meadow for £750 which seems a pretty stiff figure, and build an incinerator. The parishioners are told that there is plenty of money in hand and the rate will not go up in spite of this expenditure of £1,600 or so. St. Clement and Grouville will probably send their refuse to this incinerator, but St Martin are out on their own, and will have to settle their problems differently.
In the air.
At St Brelade's the assembly has decided in favour of a dump at Corbière, and it is understood that St Peter and St Lawrence will come into the same scheme. At Trinity the assembly have voted in favour of not entertaining the matter. They don't see anything wrong with the old system of digging holes and burying the refuse. At St Ouen, St Mary and St John, there is apparently no refuse to be disposed of. Meanwhile it is being rumoured one of these days the States will consider the question from an insular point of view, and decide on the erection of two big incinerators, one in the east and one in the West. But this is all very much in the air.
“Divers.”
The States on Tuesday could not very well refuse the grant of £300 to the Mental Asylum Committee for the purchase of a meadow which will give the institution all the water it needs, but it could not possibly sanctioned a grant under the heading of “divers”, and I find it curious that the committee should not have realised the fact. £300, after all, is £300, and not one of those mere trifles which appear in Committees estimates under the heading of “various”.
Cheap at the price.
It is essential, of course, that the Mental Home should have an ample supply of water, but one has always understood that such was the case, and I, for one, was surprised to learn the contrary. The £300 includes only the cost of the land, and further expenditure will, of course, be necessary for the plant. If the spring ensures an abundant supply, however, it can't be considered dear at the price. It would be interesting to know, by the way, how much water is used at the institution during the course of the year. It must amount to a few thousand gallons - and then some!
The Beetle.
Jurat Le Feuvre’s proposed addition to the law on the Colorado beetle should be adopted unanimously. It is obvious that the States can't compel a farmer to spray his crops if he hasn't the means to do it, and in such cases the States must make themselves responsible. As I understand the measure, spraying will not be resorted to if the Colorado beetle keeps away. In Guernsey, spraying is compulsory but they grow only some 1200 vergees of potatoes there as compared with our 16,000 or 18,000 vergees. What is comparatively easy in Guernsey would be a task of infinite difficulty in Jersey, there is no doubt about that.
All wasted.
Still, the fact remains that should the beetle be discovered in Jersey, all the spraying in the world will not save us. It may be a million to one against its coming, but the risk is there, and what we must face is the spraying after one Colorado beetle had been found would be just so much time, money and labour wasted, for England would not take our crops, and we have no other market. I am not saying that the farmers for wrong in deciding as they did, but merely stating the facts as I see them.
The big question
The licensing bench will be sitting presently, and the proceedings will not lack interest, or I shall be greatly surprised. I hear that certain licence holders are again applying for the category of licence they unsuccessfully asked for last December but the big question will be that of the repairs and alterations which, according to the bench, had to be effected by March. One is glad to hear that this decision may be modified to some extent.
Plenty of money.
St Saviour has solved it by deciding to purchase 6 vergees of meadow for £750 which seems a pretty stiff figure, and build an incinerator. The parishioners are told that there is plenty of money in hand and the rate will not go up in spite of this expenditure of £1,600 or so. St. Clement and Grouville will probably send their refuse to this incinerator, but St Martin are out on their own, and will have to settle their problems differently.
In the air.
At St Brelade's the assembly has decided in favour of a dump at Corbière, and it is understood that St Peter and St Lawrence will come into the same scheme. At Trinity the assembly have voted in favour of not entertaining the matter. They don't see anything wrong with the old system of digging holes and burying the refuse. At St Ouen, St Mary and St John, there is apparently no refuse to be disposed of. Meanwhile it is being rumoured one of these days the States will consider the question from an insular point of view, and decide on the erection of two big incinerators, one in the east and one in the West. But this is all very much in the air.
“Divers.”
The States on Tuesday could not very well refuse the grant of £300 to the Mental Asylum Committee for the purchase of a meadow which will give the institution all the water it needs, but it could not possibly sanctioned a grant under the heading of “divers”, and I find it curious that the committee should not have realised the fact. £300, after all, is £300, and not one of those mere trifles which appear in Committees estimates under the heading of “various”.
Cheap at the price.
It is essential, of course, that the Mental Home should have an ample supply of water, but one has always understood that such was the case, and I, for one, was surprised to learn the contrary. The £300 includes only the cost of the land, and further expenditure will, of course, be necessary for the plant. If the spring ensures an abundant supply, however, it can't be considered dear at the price. It would be interesting to know, by the way, how much water is used at the institution during the course of the year. It must amount to a few thousand gallons - and then some!
The Beetle.
Jurat Le Feuvre’s proposed addition to the law on the Colorado beetle should be adopted unanimously. It is obvious that the States can't compel a farmer to spray his crops if he hasn't the means to do it, and in such cases the States must make themselves responsible. As I understand the measure, spraying will not be resorted to if the Colorado beetle keeps away. In Guernsey, spraying is compulsory but they grow only some 1200 vergees of potatoes there as compared with our 16,000 or 18,000 vergees. What is comparatively easy in Guernsey would be a task of infinite difficulty in Jersey, there is no doubt about that.
All wasted.
Still, the fact remains that should the beetle be discovered in Jersey, all the spraying in the world will not save us. It may be a million to one against its coming, but the risk is there, and what we must face is the spraying after one Colorado beetle had been found would be just so much time, money and labour wasted, for England would not take our crops, and we have no other market. I am not saying that the farmers for wrong in deciding as they did, but merely stating the facts as I see them.
The big question
The licensing bench will be sitting presently, and the proceedings will not lack interest, or I shall be greatly surprised. I hear that certain licence holders are again applying for the category of licence they unsuccessfully asked for last December but the big question will be that of the repairs and alterations which, according to the bench, had to be effected by March. One is glad to hear that this decision may be modified to some extent.
Impossible
It is as clear as daylight that in numbers of cases applicants will have to admit that the whole of work has not been completed. They will produce a certificate to the effect that it is well in hand or on the point of completion but they will not be able to go further. The fact is that with all the goodwill in the world, it has not been found possible to do in three months work which in the ordinary course of things would have taken at least double the time to complete with the available labour.
It is as clear as daylight that in numbers of cases applicants will have to admit that the whole of work has not been completed. They will produce a certificate to the effect that it is well in hand or on the point of completion but they will not be able to go further. The fact is that with all the goodwill in the world, it has not been found possible to do in three months work which in the ordinary course of things would have taken at least double the time to complete with the available labour.
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