OUR HOUSE IN ORDER

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2805, 24 June 1916, Page 13

OUR HOUSE IN ORDER

SANITAEY INSPECTORS BEPOKT. The annual report of tho chief sanitary inspector (Mr. J. Doyle) states that a total of 10,518 inspections of premises ivere made during the year ended March ill, arising out of which 4941 notices were served, cliielly appertaining to defective sanitary aud water fittings. Six buildiugs, considered unfit for habitation, were brought under tho notice of tho Public Health Department. Two were pulled down, one was satisfactorily repaired, and the. rest are being dealt with. During the year 2190 dogs were registered and 431 unregistered were taken off tho streets. Eighty-fivo of these were claimcd, GS sold for ,£3l ss. Gd., and 253 were destroyed. "Wo have (says tho report) various by-laws deal, ing with dogs. Under By-law 14, 1912, (logs are not permitted to enter butchers' shops. The Dairy By-law also makes it an offence to allow dogs to be in tho milk shops or dairies, and under By-law 2-4, 1915, food-stuffs for sale must be kept beyond the reach of dogs, but these bylaws aro not sufficient. Dogs at large aro a very serious nuisance and danger. I am satisfied that they should not be allowed under any circumstances to wander about the streets.

"Complaints to the number of 1050 were received and attended to. "Although the services of tlio police in'regulating traffic at congested corners have had an excellent effect, Mr. Doylo thinks the ivliole question of traffic in the City is about ripe for consideration. The "by-law should be revised to suit altered conditions. For instance, heavy traffic should bo excluded say, Willis, Manners, and Cuba Streets. An improved system, of numbering should be adopted, and something might be done with people who drive motors through the streets at a high rate of epeed to the danger of the public. A very large proportion of such, vehicles are licensed, and Section 641 provides that 'The owner of every licensed vehicle shall cause the number of the license granted for the same to be painted on both sides of such vehicle, together with the words "City of Wellington, Licensed,"' also Section 615 provides ■ tliat the number of passengers, or weight of goods which tho vehicle is licensed to carry shall be painted 011 the side of the,vehicle. Section 707 provides that tho. owner of every sucli vehicle kept within the City and not used within the limits thereof in standing or plying or carrying goods for hire, shall cause his name to be painted on both sides of such vehicle. With regard to the numbering of licensed vehicles, Mr. Doyle says lie believes it would be an advan tage if. the council issued annually a small number-plate, which could be fastened to the sides or rear of .the vehicle. In the. case of 'lorries) which have practically no sides, ' tho 'painted number soon gets rubbed off or . becomes illegible, 1 and the result is that in ■ many cases'it is impossible to tell whether thevehicle is' licensed or not. With the number-plate,' the colour of which might be changed each year, there would bo

iio difficulty in distinguishing licensed from unlicensed vehicles. Tho inspector hopes tlio council will ho ablo to givo tho whole question of traffic in the City consideration during the coming year. "Tho death rate 9.71 may (tho inspector snys) ho considered satisfactory and tho general conditions, making, duo allow, ance for the fact that our powers are limited may ho described as fairly good 'J'lio outbreak of infantilo paralysis gave tho staif much extra work. Inspection of yards, disinfection of stables, and removal of refuso received special attcn. tion, aud few cases occurred in which citizens had not helped by attending promptly to requirements. Proprietors of picture shows and theatres are readily co-operating by regular cleansing and disinfecting their premises. With re. gard to the removal of house refuse, experience lias shown that a weekly ser, u'ee is not sufficient, and the inspector suggests that house refuso ho removed at least twico per week'. Two hundred and fifty-seven meters were fixed during tho year, and 14S8 noticcs to repair defective water fittings were served. This is an indication of the amount of watei wasted, and tho necessity of constant supervision."