THE GLOBE. TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 1880.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1956, 1 June 1880, Page 2

THE GLOBE. TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 1880.

At last, though somewhat ungraciously, tho City Council have come to the conclusion that the time has arrived when tho dual system of sanitary supervision prevailing in the city sheuld bo done away with. For some time past, with what show of reason we fail to discover, the City Council has been carrying out a system of sanitary inspection in the city, with a separate staff from that of the Local Board of Health. Tho ratepayers have thus been paying doubly for what could just as efficiently, and perhaps more so, be performed by ono body. Except that there is some idea in the minds of City Councillors that it is derogatory to allow any other body to have sway within their dominions, there does not appear to be one reason for auch a state of things. We have now two inspectors, two sub-inspectors, and a medical officer. Tho former go ever exactly the same ground in the course of their visits, and the unhappy ratepayers are placed in the position of receiving contradictory and conflicting instructions from each, so that it is almost impossible to know what to do.

Mr. Hobba, one of the members of the Board ef Health, who still apparently retains his municipal bias very strongly, champions the City Council in the attempt to continue what we cannot but style an expensive system. Mr. Hobbs points with pride to the amount of work done by the City Council during the period they have held these powers. Very truo. But what about the cost %o tie ratepayers ? We do not for one moment say that the Council have been idle, but what we desire to point out is, that there is now existing for tho same district two regulating bodies on sanitary matters where there is only neeessity for one. As matters now stand the Local Board of Health possesses the power of dealing with cases which may arise and the City Council does not. It is only necessary to rofor to the recent casos where tho by-laws of the Council proved to be ineffective. Whero any infraction of the sanitary laws has been committed, tho City Council are obliged to refer it to tho Board of Health, who alone have power to deal with it. This being so, does it not seem a farce that the ratepayers should have to pay salaries, office expenses, printing, &c, twice over, as they now are doing. Again, the system of divided authority as at present existing, is projudicial to any scheme for tho conservation of the public health. With distinct bodies, having jurisdiction over tho city, and over the suburbs &nd district, it is almost impossible to carry out sanitary reform with any continuity of action. It is imperative therefore to our mind that there should be one authority, who should control the sanitary affairs of tho city, suburbs and district. It may possibly be found convenient to delegate some of the powers of the Local Board of Health to other bodies, to enable them t» carry out somo small details, but it should bo done under tho supervision of a central authority. It has been urged that a body such as the Local Board of Health should not be entrusted with the spending of the ratepayer's money. This is altogether beside the question. The sanitary condition of tho distriot is a matter removed entirely from the mere bounds of a city belt. It has a wider field and scope, and the Board in dealing with revenue however raised should be dealing not alono with revenue contributed by tho city, but with that raised all over the district. We have heard a great deal of tho necessity of economy in these times, but it seems to us that tho ratepayers have shut their eyes to tho fact that a large double expenditure is now going on for sanitary purposes. We hope now that the Council havo come to tho conclusion they have done, that this will bo swept away, and that the work will be carried out by the proper authority, viz., the local Board of Health.

Now that public attention is directed towards tho political arena in Wellington, events which otherwise would be almost overwhelming in their magnitude are apt to be received with equanimity. If, say a fortnight ago, it had been suddenly intimated to tho astounded burgesses that the Works Committee had resigned, there would have been wide-spread consternation. As it is, we have to thank the patriotism and unselfish public spirit of the members of the Tramway Committee that Chriatcburch is not left mourning t.hft loss Of lioi Ctapes. TUuou guulloineh, with a bravery equalled only by Curlius of old, have saved us from utter despair. Where we should have obtained the services of gentlemen so eminently fitted for the high and onerous position of the Works Committee it is hard to say. It of course goes without saying that there is not i* Christchurch anyone capable of filling the seat of the chairman of that august body. His fervid eloquence, clearness of expression, when dilating on the works under his charge, and above all the unanimity which, under his peaceful and mild rule, prevails at the committee meetings, single him out ae one born to the position. We positively tremble when wo consider how nearly the city lost the inestimable services of this great man. Let the names of the members of the Tramway Committee be emblazoned in letters of gold on a tablet in the New Town Hall, with this brief memorial—" They saved the city, but all perished in the attempt."