THE CITY'S FAIR FAME

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 56, 30 November 1918, Page 8

THE CITY'S FAIR FAME

i ALLEGED INSANITARY j. : ~,:, STATE/;! ■ ■ !■•■■■ ~ " ' ■ - I-.'■.-.••-; WHO IS,TO BUME? \ '!'■■■ CITY ENGINEER REPLIES TO I ASPERSIONS [ .' POWERS INSUFFICIENT ' In,view of the aspersions cast upon ihe fair fame of Wellington city in tho tjou'se of Representatives and elsewhere !fi connection with the ■ epidemic, tho ttayor asked tho City Engineer to prelate a report on tho matter. Mr. Luko jave tho report to a Dominion reporter fast night. The text of it is as follows: i "I desire to draw attention to statements recently made by the Hon. tho Minister of. Public Health in connection vith tho epidemic which has spread jhroughout the Dominion, and to bring pie following; points before your notico: I It. is necessary to differentiate between a) The introduction and spread of infectious diseases; (b) the general public iealth..of;..tho city; (c) tho health.-.of tho jity as affected by epidemic. 'Tho measures to bo taken in prevent ng the introduction of infectious dislases must be considered us one of tho iriinary duties of a Public Health; \J)eKirtment and must necessarily bo made Applicable to the whole of the Dominpn. Tho means for preventing thespread >f infectious'disease must also bo determined bv ilib Public Health Departhent, as tho health of tho wholo Dominion is endangered by insufficiency of ho measures adopted. ■ Tho general public health of a city ihculd bo the cure of tho local authority, which can tako measures for comiating disease only within its bouninfies. .-■■'>■ i The health of a city during an epidemic equires extraordinary care and measures b be adopted by the local authority and he hospital authorities in order to wipe at the disease. «V ; Came from Overseas. ":\ 'The epidemic prevailing in.New, Zeaind was introduced from overseas, and :'has spread through the entire length nd breadth of the Dominion. ■It- , is-clear that the steps, taken to revent the introduction and spread of Iβ.disease were totally inadequate, and i>mpletely failed. No portion of tho tominion has been isolated. • (From .the instructions issued from time ) time by the medical .profossiou it is 'ear that .the spread of, tho disease is jmsed by discharges from the' mouth nd nose of a person suffering from the isease, and which may bo inhaled or fallowed by healthy, persons. There is p evidence (hat tho disease is spread itpngh , filth or insanitary, conditions, ut'itJS; clear that tho spread is brought bout by human, intercourse. '■ ■It. would appear that, an attempt is ?ing made ..to distract public attention jpm .the failure .£o prevent the introliction of the disease, and the subselient failure to isolate .the locality into hich it. was first introduced by 'drawlg attention to and magnifying the evil isults- that might arise from insanitary inditions in the cities which have been lected. . .-■ ■ ...

' Our Low Denth-Rate. ' - . ' lit would be almost impossible to find ■ city—more particularly, an important laport—where isolated case's of.'insamiry buildings, or whero insanitary con■tious due-to the habits of a sma'll secbn of tho bommunity, did not exist. :The general public health of a city lust be estimated by its death-rate. In Wellington the death-rato compares favarably with that of any city in the qrld, and equally with that of any city i this Dominion. ' , iThe present epidemic has had no re«ct for; any class of the population or iy district within the city or suburbs lit has treated all alike. . '

j.,. . r Sanitation Satisfactory. About .twenty-five'extra, sanitary fnfetors, all of whom are volunteers, and ispired solely by a sense of public duty we been, appointed in Wellington, and io- results of their inspections have on io whole been very satisfactory. As ight.bi) expected, the worst : conditions we'-; been found in Central Wellington i" J u the district known as Te Aro j Tho extra inspections included the injriors as well as the exteriors .of dwellignouses, hotek, boardinghouses and staurants. . . ■As might be expected, a aumber of. decte in roof coverings, eaves, gutters, and fwn-piping have been found. During te-war the scarcity (indeed,'tho almost ipossibility) of obtaining sufficient inamls for renewals and the scarcity of ;S %toffly- plujDil«Hj-hi« been iUtely ifelt, .but sanitary plumbing and :ainage have generally been lound in |0d order and condition. Apart from defective roof coverings ters -md downpipes, the most'notice' ftfrrfv l ma s! t&I J , COl i. dition s were duo ctfnnJi 1 " , *"** **Wto of a small prion ot the community. i Whose Responsibility. ;The lesponsibility of dealing with iuctious diseases was, by the Hospital J? ?"i«nH ble Amendment JtoJ.l9lo transferred entirely from tho SrffeKWf J° i he Hospital " n<l aantable Aid Board. The" disinfection and destruction of idding, blankets, clothing,. etc. of-ner-ins, suffering from infectious disease, so the disinfection and cleansing oi Wf,' is by the abovo Amondment Act iduty devolving upon the Hospital and heritable Aid Board, but the destrucDn of infected bedding has had to be imed out by tho corporation at the ;fuso destructor. The local authority obtains most of its' pm tho Public Health Act, but in practi V j- cl^ 3 , r e ,!llin ff to such ork the district health officer is the pcial specifically charged with the duties i directing the stops necessary to be |ken. .■, ■ . - .The Muncipal Corporations. Act Secon 279, states :-"The council may do 1 things necessary from time to 'timo •r the preservalion of the public health id convenience, and for carrying into 'i J' 1 . 6 . Provisions of the Public Health :t, 1908, so far as they anply to roughs." This, in' view of tho fact thai (ho laling with infectious diseasea is ailuty i i i' pon , tlle n ° 3 P' lal and Charitable Id Board by the Amendment Act of |10, clearly sliowh that the local aulonty is .charged only with the prorvation of tho general health of the tizens, and is not authorised to exer--36 tho powers necessary to deal with I. epidemic of dangerous infectious sease.

■Condemnation of Buildings. The condemnation of insanitary dwellS3 is by the Public Health Act clearlv a duty, of tho Health Department. " In-connection.'with tho powers prenbed for tho condemnation of dilaniited: or insanitary buildings tho Mini'sr. in his statement would make itap|ar that difficulty is experienced in ellington in securing the demolition of uldings which havo been condemned. J sjro to emphatically state that no such fflciilty has presented itself, and that • no instance has the council or its icers had a dispute with tho Public eitlth Department regarding tho eaenrcs to be adopted in rendering the mees habitablo'or in securing thuir deolition. Tho council and its officers iyo invariably given effect to tho reliTcmente of the Public Health Dcpwtont, nnd no complaint has been receiv- !. On tho other hand, tho council's acers havo frequently requested tho [strict Health Officer to inspect, with view to condemnation or to requiring at steps bo taken to render houses ibitable and to put same into a sanitary jidition. There has at no tiiho been any al difference of opinion. The statement ade by tho Minister referred to Aucknd, but leaves tho impression that the me conditions apply in Wellington. In BOino cases action taken by the couni in,conjunction with the Public Health ■partment in securing tho demolition insanitary buildings have been del'ealI, as also wero steps taken to require lo cleaning up of premises. Thore can bo no doubt that in Welling■n—particularly tho district known a*) 3 -iro flat—thoro are many houses hioh were built on insufficiont land

and in ureas much too congested. Thesebuildings have, however, ]>een erected for many years and before the corporation had obtained the powers which it now possesses. In Wellington tho enforcement of regulations to . prevent overcrowding has for many years past been btriiigently exorcised, and any complaints of congestion must refer, to buildings which were erected many years ago.

An Effect of the War. During the war there has been a great influx of people to Wellington, consequent upon the military camps' and other military establishments which have been created here. There can be no doubt that many houses are badly overcrowded. It is difficult to say how this could havo been prevented. During Hie war period from August, 1914, to date, there havo been erected in the city of Wellington 1171) dwellings and 1G shops and dwellings, showing-an additional accommodation for •about GOOD persons. The erection of buildings during this period has- been greatly retarded by reason of the conditions prevailing during the war,-par-ticularly the scarcity of'.Jabour and materials and the 'high cost of same. It is perfectly clear that had it not been for conditions arising out of the war anil tho establishment of military camps m this district the number of houses provided for tho permanent population of Wellington would have sufficed, and it is difficult to sen under the circumstances what action apart from private enterprise and necessity could- have been taken to provide housing for a temporarily increased population. •

Existing Powers Not Sufficient. ■ The existing powers for ttu?- inspection of tho interior of dwellings is not sufficient. Under the Public Health Act an inspector can enter business premises during ordinary business hours. In dwellinghouses the entry must be between tne hours of 11 a.m. and -1 p.m., and the inspector may not enter any room of a dwcllinghouse unless the occupier consents. These .restrictions as to right ox entry into dwellinghous.es can only be removed by an order from the district health officer or a magistrate in respect to a particular dwelling. , During the -present epidemic it has been found imperative to ignoro these restrictions. In many cases the occupant of the house is absent at the time of inspection. The power of entry and inspection of private houses is attended with considerable difficulty in many instances, and I have oomo to the conclusion that such powers should be extended, and that for the inspection of the interior of dwellinghouses a proportion of qualified women inspectors should bo provided. What is Needed. ■ In conclusion, it appears necessary:— (a). That more 'stringent precautions should be taken to prevent imectious diseases being introduced from other countries, and to prevent the dissemination of such diseases throughout the Dominion*

(b) That the local ns well as other authorities should have their dutie9 more clearly defined There should be no overlapping with the hospital and charitable aid boards regarding the measures which should be taken in connection with the spread of infections disease through a city, and greater powers aro necessary for the local authority to enter, inspect, and require proper sanitary conditions to be observed in the interior of dwellings. (c) Whilu recognising that thero should be some general control ,by the Public Health Department' in ortler that all actions regarding flip spread of infectious diseases shall be 'co-ordinated, I am of opinion that each of the four centres would bo better served if it had its own medical officer, under whom would be placed the sanitary inspectors department. In addition to such work this officer could attend to numerous other matters now necessary to be investigated and reported upon by a medical practitioner. ~ '

(d) The modical officer of the local .authority should bo s charged witli the responsibility of talcing all measures necessary to copo with tho spread of infectious disease, and should act in conjunction with the engineer in connection with the condemnation mid repair of buildings. (c),. The hospital and charitable aid lioard should be responsible for the provision of all additional and temporary hospitals .necessary to deal with an epidemic of infectious disease, together with medical supervision anjl attendances nursing, etc. The local authority should' have and bo required to exercise all necessary powers in connection with the' inspection of dwellings nml buildings of all descriptions, with additional powers to deal with emergency case? affecting the public health, no matter from what cause arising.