BOARD OF HEALTH.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1968, 15 June 1880, Page 3

BOARD OF HEALTH.

The Luca 1 Board of Health met after the meeting of the Drainage Board, there being present—the Chairman, Mr Harman, and Messrs Boss, Hall, Duncan, Blakisten, and Hobbs.

Mr Duncan presented a petition from a number of residents in the neighbourhood of Woolaton, complaining of a nuisance emanating from Horler’s soap and candle factory in the Ferry road, and praying that the said nuisance might be abated.

The petition was received. Mr Duncan remarked that the signatures to the petition were those of influential residents, the head master of the school. Dr Symes, and several old residents of the place, and he thought some action should be taken to have the nuisance abated.

The Chairman pointed out that clause 76 of the Public Health £Act provided for such cases.

The Board resolved to authorise tho chairman to take action under the clause referred to.

A letter was read from the town clerk of Christchurch, on behalf of the City Council, acknowledging receipt of a letter dated 29th ult., and in reply, sending the following resolution :—“ That this Council do relinquish all sanitary matters and works in connection therewith to the Local Board of Health, on and after the 30th of June.” The letter went on to say that the Council would have given up the conduct of sanitary matters at once, but, to enable the Board to provide for the public health of Christchurch, they had deferred it to the time named in the resolution, when their control over such matters will absolutely cease. The Chairman read the clause of the Act defining the powers as to the sanitary control, and pointed out it wag optional whether they should take over tho work. At present the Board hadno machinery to carryout the work. Mr Hobbs could not agree to take over tho duties proposed ; they had quite enough to do now.

Mr Hall thought they should either accept the position or be prepared to hand over their functions as a Local Board of Health to the Council.

Mr Hobbs suggested that there should be a conference of the two bodies. The Chairman said the Council had rejected such a proposal made by one of their members. He would point out that the Central Board of Health was the authority they had to follow in the matter. Mr Duncan asked what position wonld that Board be in if neither body did anything in the matter after the 30th of June.

Mr Blakiston apprehended that as they were the Local Board of Health they were responsible. Mr Ross said the position was this : That the City Council had thrown their sanitary garment off, and it was the dnty of some other body to assume it, and the Local Board of Health seemed the proper body. Mr Duncan thought they would be obliged to take over the sanitary work. He did not think they should go to the Central Board in Wellington in the matter. So far as he could see moreover, they would not be the losers ; the City Council would rather sustain a loss. The Council, as he understood, got £1440 from the ratepayers beyond what they paid to Mr Brightliug, and after paying their expenses for inspectors’ salaries, &s., they had a net profit of £6OO, which they would lose. For himself he thought the City Council were to blame in the matter. At the same time he should not like to see any steps taken till a conference had been held with the Council, in order if possible to come to some amicable understanding. Mr Ross saw more and more the necessity of having the sanitary control of the whole of the district within the limits of the Drainage Board, the only difficulty being the question of money, in which connection ho could not quite agree with Mr Duncan in his economical calculations, inasmuch as the requirements of the district were always increasing. After some further discussion,

Mr Duncan moved— “ That the Board regrets the decision arrived at by the City Council, having for its object the Board taking upon itself the responsibility of arranging for the entire control of all sanitary matters within the city, but before taking any action request them to arrange a conference for the purpose of coming to some understanding which may be conducive to the best interests of the cify.” Seconded by Mr Hall and carried. The City Council forwarded copy of a letter from William Paddy, giving the Council notice of his intention to empty the night soil of his premises in the garden, and to prosecute anyone trespassing on his premises after 11 o’clock at night. The Board resolved to take action on the above under clause 47 of the Act, providing machinery for dealing with persons who obstruct officers in the discharge of their dnty. An application from Messrs Lowry to be allowed to establish a tannery at Woolston was granted. Letters were received from Messrs Stevens and Richardson, members for the city, acknowledging receipt of resolutions of the Board in relation to the proposal to obtain legislative authority to delegate its powers to Local Boards within the present district. The following report of infectious diseases recorded since May 17th was submitted:— Typhoid, 5 ; scarlet fever, 1; diphtheria, 4 ; total, 10. Accounts amounting to £5210s were passed for payment. The Board then (at 6.30) adjourned.