THE BAY OF PLENTY TIMES. “The spirit of the times shall teach me speed." KING JOHN, ACT IV. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1874.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume II, Issue 155, 28 February 1874, Page 2

THE BAY OF PLENTY TIMES. “ The spirit of the times shall teach me speed." KING JOHN, ACT IV. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1874.

The Town Board—we except Mr Samuels —are evidently shirking the drainage

question. Like the water question in the City Council of Auckland, discussion on the subject has been adjourned again and again—it is presumable with the view of exhausting the public patience, and getting the matter quietly shelved. If the members of the Board are really desirous of doingtheirduty they will “tackle” thedifficulty,and thatwithoutauymore contemptible dallying and unnecessary delay. If they are not anxious to do their duty to the public, then, in the memorable words of Oliver Cromwell, lot them “ make room for better men.” There has been quite enough procrastination already—the public health must be attended to, or we shall have a visit from typhus, typhoid fever, and diptheria, which will rather astonish some of our residents. Indeed, we could point out at the present time more than one case of severe sickness in Tauranga attributed solely to defective drainage. We publish to-day for general information some of the clauses (abridged) in the “ Public Health Act, 1872,” now in force throughout the Colony : There shall be a Central Board of Health for each province, the Superintendent and his Executive being ex officio members. The Central Board may form a local Board in any town,* district, or place within each province. Each local Board may appoint its own officers and servants, and all expenses incurred by such Board shall be paid, in case of nominated local Boards, out of moneys appropriated by the General Assembly for the purpose, which shall he placed at the disposal of the Board by the Governor, Each local Board may appoint its own medical officer, if necessary. Every local Board shall report to the Central Board of Health for the province, from time to time, either as to the health, cleanliness, and general sanitary condition of the district or place for which such Board shall be established, and a copy shall be sent by the Central Board to the Governor j and the Central Board shall report from time to time to tire Governor.

If any epidemic, endemic, or contagious disease, or any indications thereof, appear, the local Board shall immediately report the same to the Central Board.

Medical practitioners to give notice of any case of contagious disease dangerous to the people which may come under their notice professionally, under a penalty. Any householder, in whose house a case of dangerous infectious disease shall occur, to give notice to the local Board, under a penalty.

Local Boards to cause all sewers and drains to be covered, and kept so as not to be a nuisance or injurious to health, and to be properly cleansed and emptied; they may construct any works necessary for that purpose, and may cause all sewers to communicate with such places as they may think fit j no person to cause a private drain to empty into a public sewer without the consent of the Board.

Local Boards to have power to enter upon premises, with or without notice, to ascertain if nuisance exist. If nothing of the kind is found, the local Board to pay the expense ; if any drain, cesspool, ash-pit, closet, &c., is found in bad condition, or necessary to be moved, notice to be given to the proprietor or occupier requiring him to make such alteration or amendment within a given time at the expense of the proprietor. Either failing, the local Board to do the work at the expense of the proprietor. Local Boards to have power to fill up or drain and cleanse, in the same manner, all ponds, pools, open ditches, sewers, drains, &c. t in which drainage filth, water, matter, or anything of an

offensive nature and prejudicial to health may be collected.

All houses to be erected or re-built, to have proper closets and drains, &o. ; and any house built before or after the passim* of the Act not possessing proper accommodation in this respect to have necessary improvements made on notice to the proprietor or occupier.

Accumulations of filth or offensive matter of any kind to be removed from any house outbuilding, lane, alley, or other "place, within twenty-four hours after notice from the local Board, under a penalty.

Power given to any officer of the local Board to seize unwholesome food exposed for sale.

Pigsties to be kept so as not to bo a nuisance to anyone. No contents of closet, &c., to be allowed to overflow or soak therefrom.

Persons who wilfully obstruct any officer of the Board in the execution of his duties, or pull down any placard or notice issued by the Board, to be subjected to a penalty not exceeding £5. Disobedience of any regulations made under the Act by any central or local Board, or any officer of theirs, to bo subjected to a penalty, besides costs and expenses.

Cases under the Act to bo disposed of in a summary way before two Justices of the Peace.

Penalties imposed may be enforced by distress; in default, by imprisonment, with or without hard labour, for not more than two months, or four months, or six months, according to the amount of the penalty imposed.

Penalties, &0., recovered to form part of the revenue of local Boards; where no such Board exists, to go to the revenue of tho province. Nothing in the Act to affect the powers possessed by the Council of a borough, or of any Justice.

An appeal may be made against any order or regulation of the local Board to the Central Board.

His Honor tbe Superintendent of Auckland has had tbe powers of bis Excellency the G-overnor under tbe “ Public Health Act” delegated to him for this province. Tbe Governor may direct any or all of the foregoing provisions to be “ wherever it is necessary to do so /* and it is certainly necessary that several of them should be applied to tbe town of Tauranga. We shall take an early opportunity of more particularly referring to other important provisions contained in this useful ordinance. In the meantime something must be done immediately regarding the sanitary condition of the township. We would again suggest that a public meeting be called, tbe matter thoroughly discussed, and tbe Board taught tpeir butt. .Remember I tbe drainage required would be comparatively inexpensive, and could b© easily effected. Heglect now will entail heavy expenses hereafter!

According to the new General Government Licensing Act now in force, all publicans desirous of renewing their licenses now existing must send in to the Clerk of the Court a written notice to that effect signed by at least ten householders of the district, before the first Tuesday in March in each year. The annual licensing meeting will be held on the third Tuesday in the month of April next. We would advise landlords, spirit merchants, and others interested to make themselves acquainted with the provisions of the new ordinance.

Mr Seward, the new master, commenced teach* ing on Wednesday last in the District School. He is about to introduce Nelson’s series of “Royal Readers”—splendid new reading books, published as late as 1873. Nos. 5 and 6 of these hooka embrace modern lessons on scientific and literary subjects. Mr Seward brings with, him beautiful scholastic charts of his own, to assist in teaching every branch of natural science. We are glad to learn also that he intends giving the children singing lessons. Wo sincerely hope that parents will do their part, and let their children receive the benefit of bis energies.

Major Roberts informs us that, at the request of the people of Opotiki, he has altered the date of departure of the Opotiki and Xauranga overland mail. After Thursday next, an orderly carrying her Majesty’s mail, will leave Tauranga for Opotiki regularly on Mondays, at 2 p.m., and not upon Thursdays as heretofore. A mail for Tauranga will also leave Opotiki on Mondays.

This mast have been a lively country to live in some few years ago ! It was bad enough to know that huge moas, ten or twelve feet high, with feet as big as an elephant’s, used to march about the place and have it all their own way ; but now Dr. Haast must needs try to frighten us out of our wits by going and discovering the fossil bones of a gigantic bird of prey exceeding in size the biggest eagle in the world. It appears that this awkward customer had phalanges nearly as large as those of lions and tigers. We don’t know what phalanges are, but we are sure they must be something terrible, because lions and tigers have them —teeth perhaps, or claws, or something equally uncomfortable. The doctor says that after seeing its curved talons, the fable of the bird Roc no longer seems extravagant. The bird 800 is described in the Arabian Nights, and Sinbad the Sailor, who was always doing some insane thing or other, tied himself and a great bundle of diamonds to one of its toe-nails, and the Roc flew away with them and never twigged the practical joke. Then we are told that a human being would have stood a poor chance against such a foe. Poor chance indeed! The best thing he could have done was to insure his life at once in the Government office and try to recollect some prayers. It is believed that this gigantic bird hunted down and ate that other big bird known as the moa. That’s consoling and as long as ha did not want any change of diet, we don’t so much care ; but we still think they over-did things tremendously in those old days ie New Zealand.

Warbrick kindly sent us the following telegram yesterday : viewed Mr Vogel and other Ministers officially this morning. Afterwards adjourned until tomorrow. Everything satisfactory. Sanguine hopes entertained for future of Auckland province.” The monthly parade of the Tauranga Ride Volunteers will bo held this afternoon at the usual time and place.

According to the “ authorised ” Postal Guide the San Francisco inward mail was duo in Auckland on the 25th instant.

V/ e learn from good quarters that by the privately expressed wish of Pius IX the College of Cardinals have for some time consulted as to who would be the best person to elect as successor of the Holy Father, in the event of anything happening, suddenly or otherwise, to the latter. By a very considerable majority their selection has fallen upon Cardinal Pecci, Archbishop of Perugia, and there is little or no doubt that he will be the next Pope. This prelate was born in 1810, and was made a cardinal in 1803. He has resided but little at Rome, having throughout all the period of his episcopate since 1848—-been a hardworking bishop. Ho is a man of very decided views, being what is called an Ultromontane, but is of a very conciliatory spirit, and would no doubt live on terms of amity wit h the Italian Government. He is of unblemished character, very religious and pious in bis life, and greatly respected even by the freethinkers of Italy.

The latest intelligence from Natal stales that a nugget weighing 56 ounces has been lifted at the Transvaal diggings, and that a party has found £2,000 worth of gold. The population is still increasing, there being 500 miners at Leydenburg.

Under the head of “Joy in the Noble Houses of Guelph and Campbell,” the New York Herald publishes a telegram dated London, August 30th, to the effect that “ Her Royal Highness the Princess Louise, wife of the Marquis of Lome, is enciente. 1 ’

Few persons outside of printing offices know the importance of “ proof-reading”— that is, the careful revision of the type after it is set up, for the purpose of removing the wrong letters, &c. For example, a miserably scrawled marriage notice is handed in, which ought to read as follows : “ Married, on August Ist, A, Confcey, Esq., attorney-at-law, to Miss Euphemia Wiggins.” The notice is handed to the compositor, whose rapid fingers fly among the little typo boxes for a brief space. A “ proof ” is then taken of the type, and the proof reader has the following version before him : —“ Married, on August let, A. Donkey, Esq. Eternally at Law, to Miss Buphunia Priggins.”

At the Athenasum Assembly room, Temple Row Birmingham, a spiritualistic service was recently held, and in the course of it a medium named Benjamin Hawkes, a toy dealer of New-street, addressed the meeting. He spoke for fully half an hour, appearing to be in his usual health ; and then he described with startling viridity a seance in which the Apostle Be ter had manifested himself to the assembled spiritists. Peter bad c ! asped bands with him, and he (Hawkes) felt the close pressure of the Apostle’s grasp. From this he argued that it was quite possible to understand how Thomas of Didymus thrust his hand into the side of “the Personification of Divine Love.” The instant these last words were out of the speaker’s mouth he fell back on a chair behind him. There was great excitement, for the meeting believed Hawkes was under strong “ spirit control.” A few seconds elapsed, and a surgeon came up to the medium and found him dead. The meeting broke up in wild confusion. Perhaps a more oxciting scene never occurred than the death of this man, with the wild words of his fervent belief on his lips-

The Colonist writes thus mournfully of the province of Nelson :—“ We are repeating the fruits of a misspent youth. At three and thirty years of age the province finds itself without a continuous main trunk road throughout either its length or its breadth. After parting with hundreds of thousands acres of land, and pocketing hundreds of thousands of pounds of land revenue, we are driven to borrow £250,000 to improve an estate a great part of which is no longer our own, and the profits to accrue from which improvement —it is needless to point out—will go into the hands of private owners instead of into the public However, ‘needs must’ under certain •conditions of driving. We are a gentle and unexperienced people, content, through endless mistakes, to grope our way to light.”