SANITARY CONFERENCE.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1358, 21 June 1878, Page 3

SANITARY CONFERENCE.

The conference between the sanitary committee of the City Council and delegates from the Sydenham Borough Council and the Spreydon and Heathcote Road Boards was held yesterday afternoon. The following were present— Christchurch : Crs. Bickerton (chairman), Ruddenkku, Jameson, and the Mayor; Sydenham ! Mr Booth (Mayor) and Cr. Charters; Heathcote ; Mr Attwood, chairman of the Road Board ; Spreydon: Mr Milo, .chairman ~of the Road Board. The Chairman (Cr. Bickerton) said that ho would open the business by calling upon the town clerk to read the joint resolution agreed to by the Drainage Board and the sanitary committee. [This has already been_ published. ) He explained the circumstances which had led to the convening of the present conference, principally the indefinite status of the Board of Health for Christchurch and the surrounding district. It was felt desirable that there should be a body having control over the whole district, but which should not interfere with local action unless called upon. Cr. Jameson said that the City Council could do nothing in sanitary matters without the sanction of the Drainage Board, and it had been deemed by the sanitary committee desirable to have a representative from each district appointed to form a general committee, which should have general supervision, each district having the management of its own work. Mr Miln would rather that the Drainage Board should have central control. Cr. Euddenklau said that the Drainage Board wanted to have the whole control or none. He considered that the districts should stud delegates to a body which should act in the same way as the Central Board of Health at Wellington can act now in cases of epidemics. The Mayor of Christchurch here entered thp room. The Major of Sydenham wished to know what clause in the Act prevented the City Council acting without the consent of the Drainage Board. As he understood the Act, it provided that only where the City Council neglected to do its duty the Drainage Board could sttp in. Cr. Ruddenklau referred to the proviso to clause If. 'the sanitary committee had taken the opinion of Dr Foster on this. The Mayor of Christchurch wished to know what resolution was being discussed. He apologised for being late. His notice named 2.30 as the time of meeting. The Chairman explained that the discussion so far tend-d merely to show the present position of affairs. 1 he opinion of the Comicil’a legal adviser had been taken, and was to the effect that the Board of Health had power to veto any proposed action of t h e City Council, whose legal stitus was a perfectly secondary one. Cr. Jameson moved —“ That that part of the 14th clause should bo repealed, and that a body should be appointed in accordance with the following : . , , “ litle —Christchurch District Board of Health. “ Members —One from each Board, Christchurch, Sydenham, Heathcote, and Avon, the Mayor of Christchurch to be president in addition. ‘ “ Term of Office —During term of office m the respective Boroughs and Boards. “ Officers—Medical and Chief Inspector, “ Duties —Board to define duties and salaries of above officers. “ Funds - Ordinai’y, sucb as salaries and office expenses to be paid from funds contributed jjro rata by tbe various bodies on the rate roll. Extraordinary to be charged against the district where expenses are incurred. Particular care must be taken that power of recovery in both cases by tbe Christchurch District Board be embodied in the Act with other powers similar to those of the Central Board of Health. “ Payments—All funds to be paid out of ordinary revenue, quarterly in advance.” Cr. Charters seconded the motion pro forma. The Mayor of Christchurch s ad that the resolutions were just re-appointing a Drainage Board, with this difference, that Christchurch would be represented by fewer members. At present Christchurch has four members on the Drainage Board. Most of the Road Boards, he made bold to say, were satisfied with tire actions of the Drainage Board. There li id never yet been a clash between the Drainage B oard and the City Council, clearly showing that they had no desire to interfere. They had given way in every conceivable shape. In the resolutions now proposed no mention was madp of drainage, but drainage was so intimately connected with health that he could not see how it coudbe separated. The Drainage Board would be willing to give up their powers, but they would only do so altogether, and then there would be no central Board of Health for Christchurch. 'To persons in the country there did not seem the the same necessity for sanitary moisures as to those in the towns, and the outside ho lies would probably neglect to look after them. There could he only one Central Board of Health, and that in Wellington. If Christchurch asked Parliament no doubt the Drainage Board would b -abolished, but this proposal would be onlyrecrea»,,,j tJje Board in a less satisfactory form. W Vtfi said the last speaker was tbe only. mo oi .. ■ Counci i opposed to the 1 of 0 . the S£ V * --"titl e. The promo ters o£ this conference were no* tisfied to 1 ave the city aline healthy and the suburbs healthy. There should be power in a central body to employ a doctor and an inspector for tho

whole district. At present the Drainage Board conld take the sanitary arrangements entirely out of the hands of the Council. Cr. Charters agreed with the Mayor of Christchurch, that the proposal would have the effect of constituting a Drainage Board with a slightly different name.

The Chairman explained that in the one case each body would become a distinct Local Board of Health, while in the other case each body had no power to act independently. The Central Board, constituted as now proposed, would not interfere unless the Local Board refused to act. The Mayor of Christchurch said there would be a doctor and inspector for each district, and then similar officers would bo appointed by the central body to overlook these. The Mayor of Sydenham was surprised to find that the Christchurch Council were not unanimous. A Central Board was absolutely necessary. The Mayor of Christchurch had adduced some very cogent arguments in favour of the Drainage Board being the Central Board, but that Board should not have the power it now possesses to interfere with the action of the City Council, except when the city authorities neglected their duties The Chairman said the Drainage Board had been asked to resign'heir control over Christchurch, and retain it over the Eoad Boards, but they objected to this course. The Mayor of Sydenham thought that would be very objectionable. Mr Miln -would like to know what fault was to be found with the Dra'nage Board ; whether they had not performed their functions properly. Cr. Ruddenklau said the Board absorbed all the power of the Council. Mr Miln quite understood that all legal power was taken out of the Council’s hands. The Mayor of Christchurch —“ Query,” The Chairman admitted that there was a douht on the matter. The Mayor of Christchurch recommended that the meeting should go into committee, in order that the discussion should bo more regular and members be allowed to speak more than once. The Chairman said that he had c.refnlly watched tnc proceedings, and had not noticed that any one had spoken more than once, except in explanation. He would read the opinion of Dr Foster, which had led to the present conference. Mr Miln considered that the City Council were of opinion that |the Dxainage Board took away from the city powers which it had formerly possessed. He could not see why the Drainage Board should not do all that it had to do. A Drainage Board must be intimately connected with sanitary measures, and in his opinion was the best body to act as a Board of Health. The Ma\or of Sydenham, referring to the Public Health Act, understood from it that the Board of Health coaid not interfere with municipalities unless these neglected their duties. It was most important that there should be a Board having power to deal with an epidemic at its first appearance and stamp it out. Tbs Mayor of Christchurch drew the attention of the conference to the 47th clause of the Public Health Act, which he read to mean that if the Council neglected its duty no one could interfere unless by the authority of the Central Board of Health. , Cr. Jameson differed from this view. The clause said the Board of Health “ may ” come in under any circumstances, and ‘‘shall” if ord red by the Central Board. If the Council decided to use closet pans the Drainage Board might sten in and decide that the excreta should be removed by drains. The City Council was anxious that the Eoad Boards should act with them, but if 'he Boards refused, the city would apply to the Assembly and obtain an Act for itself. Mr Mi in saw the difficulty, but such difficulty would not exist in the country districts. The Mayor of Sydenham asked Cr. Jameson if the Municipal Corporations Act was repealed by the Public Health Act. He could not see that the Drainage Board would interfere with the Council if the latter body were doing its duty. Cr. Jameson replied that the fact was the Council thought the pan system was the best, but the Board of Health was about to adopt a system of drains for removing the excreta. Mr Attwood conld see that the city representatives had invited the delegates simply to strengthen themselves. Cr. Jameson admitted that it was so. The Mayor of Christchurch said the Municipalities Act gave all the power which the Public Health Act did, Cr. Jameson said that Act was overridden. The Mayor of Christchurch denied that it was ovei ridden. Cr. Jameson would, with permission, withdraw his resolution after the expression of opinion which had been made. Cr. Euddenklau said that the state of things obtaining here was peculiar to Christchurch. The proposition made by Cr. Jameson, the sanitary committee were not bound to, it might be modi led in any way the conference pleased. The Mayor of Christchurch moved—” That there has beeu nothing shown to the members of this conference which would induce them to alter the constitution of the present Local Board of Health.” Christchurch differed from every other town in New Zealand in being situated on a perfect plain. If the proposed Central Board was appointed it would involve the appointment of additional officers. At present the Drainage Boaid acted amicably, and indeed bad appointed the City Inspector as an' inspector for their own body. Each public body according to Cr. Jameson’s resolutions would have to appoint a separate medical man and inspector. Cr. Jameson said that was a mistake. The Mayor continued—l he feeling of the City Council was to have no one to interfere with them within the limits of the city. The fact was that Christchurch people had the control not only of the city, but of the neighbouring districts. The Drainage Board had done its duty, and no one would admit that more readily than tl,e Eoad Boards. The members of the Drainage Board had taken a wide view of their powers, and not confined their action to tho city. Cr. Charteris seconded the motion. The Mayor of Sydenham said it had occurred to him that this might be referred to the Municipal Conference about to bo held in Wellington. Ho was glad that the conference had been hedd. Mr Miln was also well pleased that the delegates from the outside districts had been invited to discuss these matters. Cr. F nddenklau said the Mayor of Christchurch was under a wrong impression in supposing that the sanitary committee wished that there should be separate officers for each district. The fa't was tfi it it was not proposed to increase the expenditure, The Mayor of Christchurch said that he had not moved his resolution in a spirit of antagonism. He would with raw it, and be content with voting against the resolution of Cr. JameThe Chairman then asked if it was the wish of the conference that Cr. Jameson should be allowed to withdraw his resolution. Permission was granted, and tho proceedings concluded with a vote of thanks to the chairman,