HEALTH MATTERS.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 403, 30 April 1902, Page 2

HEALTH MATTERS.

WELLS AND DRAINS. SPURRING THE INSPECTOR TO TAKE ACTION. At the Borough Council meeting last night, Mr J. R. Little, Sanitary Inspector, reported I have to report to your Council that since your last meeting I have been inspecting in tlie borough. In accordance witli instructions received from Dr. Finch re the closing of Messrs Erskine and Craig’s “ wells,” I gave each of tlie abovenamed seven days’ notice to have their wells filled in. I might state that Mr Erskine lias complied with tlie above request, and has had his well filled in, but Mr Craig absolutely declines to comply therewith. It is now for your Council to instruct me wlmt steps to take in tlie matter. I also notified Mr Redstone and O'Reilly Bros, re stagnant water lying in sections occupied and used by them for turning horses into. Mr Redstone is willing to lay a drain from his section, connecting liis private house with same, and connect with Council’s drain in Lowe street, providing that your Council could see their way to carry drain from river hank to low water mark. I estimate the cost of fi inch drain from bank of river to low water mark at L2 12s (id. This drain would be a great benefit if carried out. I also wish to refer your Council’s attention to certain repairs which are necessary to some of the Council’s property in Roebuck Road. I would recommend that specifications he prepared and teuders called to put tlie houses in repair, as the above requires to he undertaken at an early date. Health reports go<xl as per .register book.

Cr Lysnar thought it would he money well spent to do the drain. Cr Miller said tlie only objection was that it would make a precedent for other drains, required. On the motion of the Mayor it was agreed that Mr Redstone should have permission to connect tlie drain with tlie Council’s drain. The Inspector was instructed to ,make a report as- to tlie cost of repairs and painting required to eacli of the houses- ■_ The following is the letter from Dr. Finch to the Mayor : —“ The wells at Erskine’s and Craig’s bakehouses prove on analysis, as was only to be expected, to lie contaminated with sewerage ; they are also very salt. I believe the former does not use the water for baking purposes ; in any case, the water should not lie used for any purpose whatever. I should he obliged if you can induce them to close them altogether, without any fuss or publicity.” 111 reply to a question it was stated that both the Inspector and the Town Clerk had interviewed the parties concerned. Mr Erskine agreed to carry out the suggestion, but Mr Craig refused to do so. Cr Whiiiray ; Well, I tiling it is very plain sailing. The Mayor said that he had seen Mr Craig and said that they must insist on the recommendations being carried out. He stated that lie must have the well for the use of his horses, and that tlie water was good, and on those grounds he refused to do anything in tlie matter. He had had some of tlie water analysed. Tlie Town Clerk said that the analysis' was a partial one and showed the water was salt aiul not potable : Cr Lysnar said that the matter should he referred back to Dr Finch for him to deal with it. He had to condemn the well. Cr Bright; What more official condemnation do we want ? Cr Lysnar ;■ lie says quietly.. Tlie Town Clerk ; He refused to do it quietly. Cr Lysnar said that it now rested with Dr Finch to give an official condemnation, Cr Bright : Who is Dr Finch's letter to V

The Mayor : To the Mayor. Cr Bright ' Then what more do we want than that '! Cr, Jones ; lie does not condemn it yet.

Continuing, Cr Jones said that jt was not a condemnation within the meaning of the Act. Cr Mason ; He says “ induce,” not that it must be done. Cr Whiiiray ; The object was to get it done without alarming the people. Cr Jones ; Rather a kindness than a command. . In reply to Cr Bright, it was stated that Mr Craig had been shown the letter.

The Town Clerk said that Mr Craig did not now use tlie water for bread,, but claimed that it was better than the tank water for that purpose Cr Jones suggested that the Council write back to Dr Finch, sending a copy of the report. Cr Whiiiray : Is that necessary ? Cr Jones : He must condemn it first. Cr Whiiiray : I should have thought it devolved on us to give effect to his report. Cr Jones : We have p.o power Cr Whiiiray : Then it is time that, we had tlie power, It was agreed to forward tlie report do Dr. Finch, The following report was received from tlie .Sanitation Committee ; We have to report having visited tlie main blocks yesterday in company with the Inspector. Whilst in some cases there is an improvement manifested in the general cleanliness of the yards and rear premises, yet taken as a whole there is not nearly the requisite atten-

lion given to this matter. It appears to us that; flic Inspector does not fdlly realise ‘ 'the responsibility and importance of his duties upon which to a large extent the public health depends. As we have pointed out to him the mere serving of a notice where improvement is required is not sufficient, and if attention is not immediately given stronger measures will have to oe resorted to. At our request the inspector lips noted matters which require promptly seeing to, and we desire to say that if upon our next visit of inspection a marked improvement in tiie general cleanliness of the Borough is not apparent we shall recommend the" Connxql to make some change in its officer. Such visits were not pleasant to them, and should he practically unnecessary it the duties of inspection were being carried out in a resolute and impartial maimer. The mayor said that lirst of all the Inspector would have to prove that the places complained -of were a nuisance. Cr Lysnar : There will twt be much difficulty in that. Cr Whinray said that there was sufficient in that to cause the Inspector to ask if he had power. The well was a. nuisance, but they were told they had no power to shut that up. . Cr Lysnar said they had powe; ;tq insist on an abatement, but not to demolish. Shutting up the well ! would be like pulling down a house. They could not do that without the medical authority^ Clauses of the bye-law bearing on the subject were read by the Mayor, who sat'd that the Inspector could sue lor the abatement of a nuisance. Cr Lysnar : There is no question of the authority of the Inspector to act/ Cr Whinray said there was a lot of stimulant in the report,

... The Mayor said it ought to encourage him. Cr Jones : I suggest that the Inspector start with the Councillors. Cr Hepburn said it was a good report, and would he of much service in the hacking up of .the Inspector, The. report was an intimation to him that he must he' strict or there would be a change of inspectors. Cr Jones said lie did not agree with the remarks as to a change of Inspectors. When he had reported on several occasions the Council instead of hacking him up had told him to hold the matter over. He believed in having a clean town, though not that the Councillors should take on themselves the duties of Sanitary Inspector. They

.should be prepared to back the InspecI tor up—previously they had not been i prepared to go all the way in that rej speet. That night they found theini selves in a difficulty in regard to the well. Only those who had experience of the matter knew how difficult it was to prove what was a nuisance. They should always try to get the nuisances cleared up without going to Court if they could, and the Inspector should start with tiie Councillors. (Hear, hear). Cr Lysnar said lie was surprised at the remarks by Cr Jones, and much regretted that lie had not been on the Sanitary Committee, in which case he would not have made such remarks. Recommendations that they had made twelve months ago had not been carried out. Anyone with ordinary powers of smell could detect these nuisances. One place was so bad that they could not get within twenty yards of it. His feeling was that, the report did not go far enough. If the Inspector did not insist on these nuisances being cleared up he would vote against the present Inspector’s services being retained. Cr Jones said that the Inspector had not been backed up in regard to Dr. Valentine’s report. Cr Lysnar said that specified instructions had been given and not carried out. It was not nice for Councillors to have to go and find out these matters themselves. Cr Whinray suggested that the Committee were deserving of thanks for the way they had carried out their duties. The report should strengthen the hands of the Inspector. Cr Bright said that it was. much nicer to lie able to say, “ Well done,thou good and faithful servant,” but it was all very well for Cr Jones to sit there and say that Councillors should not go round. He could appre. date the Inspector’s position in the matter. The Inspector, like Councillors, was anxious to lie friendly to all ratepayers, but if they had reason to suppose that the public health was suffering from a laxity of attention to cleanliness it was their duty to see that the proper precautions were taken. If the Committee had taken the Magistrate with them tiiey could have secured seven or eight convictions. Cr Lysnar ; .Sixteen, Cr Bright said it was no use of always trying to be pleasant ’in the matter. 1-Ie would not go so far as Cr Lysnar, but hoped that the Inspector would take a hint from the report. If a groove had been fallen into and tilings were allowed to remain because they had previously beer, that way, the Inspector should understand that the Committee intended to try and do their duty to the health of the town. If Councillors iiad nuisances on their places, by all means let them be dealt with first. The Committee had discharged a pleasant and invidious duty. The Mayor said that the report was practically an instruction to the Inspector to he more strict in the future, and an intimation that lie would be supported by the Council in anv action for the good of the town. On the motion of Cr Kennedy, seconded by the Mayor, the report was adopted.