SANATATION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1690, 6 March 1906, Page 2

SANATATION.

{•To the Editor ,Gisborne {Times.)' | Sir, —Your correspondent “Townsman ” does not understand the position when he says I object to the rubbish collector going into people’s yards for fear that he might be carrying typhoid germs. What I object to is the rubbish man being turned into a fever stool collector, and after he has been collecting fever stools, carrying them out to the depot, putting them through a boiling process, then bury, ing them, he then gets on to the rubbish cart and comes into people’s back yards collecting rubbish. When one knows that this dreaded disease spreads through these stools with enormous rapidity I for one think it is a risk the borough should not take, and would sooner see us err on the side of caution than otherwise. JTntil. some time. last year Mr Wilkinopn. who hacl nothipg to do with the riibbish re. moyal had the removal of these stools! : Eyery time hie lyent to attend to’them he changed his 1 clothes even to his* boots,_ and had a special cart, which he kept in a shed with his change of clothes. This ivorked satifactorily, and to my mind the careful handling of these in the ■ past helped very materially to free our town from fever. It is unreasonable and impossible to expect the rubbish man to take the precautions Mr Wilkinson took. He has certain places to call at and remove rubbish from in ihe day, and sometimes nightsoil at night, and could: not be expected to change his clothes twice daily, ao he would have to do under the present arrangements. I do - not wish to alarm people, but for the sake of saving a paltry £SO a year by the new process, I think it right to' enter a protest and let the burgesses know the position.—l am; etc., W- DqvqLAS LysK.ut,. [“ Townsman’s ” letter was condensed and names omitted lest feelings should be hurt by the comparative nature of the arguments ; evidently the condensation failed to convey the contention set out fully and clearly in the letter, that if there was a risk of infection in regard to the rubbish collector there would be an equally great risk in regard to non-isolation of houses where such cases have occurred, and also of the people residing in su6h houses. It is well-known that the chief danger of infection is in the stools. —Ed. Times.]