The Globe. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1877.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1038, 23 October 1877, Page 2

The Globe. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1877.

The City Council has passed a resolution —“ That a public meeting be held with a view of discussing the general subject of Municipal Acts, which should not be passed without reference to all municipalities concerned, and especially with reference to the present Drainage Act Amendment Bill.” In yesterday’s issue we published a summary of the Bill referred, to above. With its aim few will, we think, disagree. It is to provide funds to enable the Local Board of Health to carry out its functions. As the law now stands, the Christchurch District Drainage Board is constituted the Local Board of Health, without any provision being made to meet the necessary expenses. No one will deny, not even Cr. Ick we suppose, that the health of the city and suburbs must be attended to. The duty of doing so has been entrusted by the Legislature to the Drainage Board, and as long as the law stands as it does, that body must be provided with the necessary means with which to do the work. The question is, does the Bill under notice adopt the simplest method of doing so? We think not. It provides complicated machinery when much simpler means might have been adopted. It makes the blunder of imposing a fresh rate when all that was required Avas a clause empowering the Drainage Board to pay over to the Board of Health any sum up to twopence in the pound required for the purposes of the Act. While, therefore, we think that a much simpler plan might have been adopted, and one much less unpopular, we cannot regard theßillas reallyimposing fresh taxation. If £6OO per annum has to be paid in carrying out the Public Health Act, it must come out of the pockets of the taxpayers whether it is expended by the present Board of Health or by any other bodv which may be created. We hope the public will not shut their eyes to this fact, nor be led away into opposing the granting of the necessary funds, from some source, to the Local Board of Health. Until the power is taken from it, it is charged with looking after the health of tin city and suburbs, and in order to do so must have some money. We hope this question will not be confused with tin other and very different one, that oi the propriety of altering the confutation of toe £ocal Board, of Health.

The Drainage Board was constituted that body, with the consent of the then existing City Council. Lately » different decision has been arrived at by the present members. But beyond passing a resolution on the sub ject no active steps have, so far as we are aware, been taken to promote a Bill with that end in view, and it is manifestly too late in the session now to do so. But when the time comes to discuss the matter, we venture to think that the decision arrived at by the the public will be such as to prove that they are more interested in the health of the city and suburbs than in seeking to maintain the dignity of the Sanitary Committee of the City Council. If it is agreed to restore the powers of the Local Board of Health to the Council again it will bo because that body can best look after the health of the city, while at the same time some competent authority has been found to take charge of the suburbs. But, as long as the health of Christchurch is being cheaply and successfully attended to, the public will have little sympathy with Cr. Bickerton in his helpless position.” In the meantime, it is perfectly evident that so long as the Drainage Board possesses the powers of the Board of Health it would be in the highest degree suicidal to try and oppose giving them the means of conserving the public health. If it is considered that the Bill is object ionable in its present form, and we certainly think it is, let means be taken to get it amended, but we have more faith in the intelligence of the citizens of Christchurch than to believe that they' will suffer themselves to be led into opposing the carrying out the provisions of the Public Health Act, simply because the dignity of some members of the Sanitary Committee of the Council is offended.