THE GLOBE. SATURDAY, JUNK 24, 1882. SANITARY PRECAUTIONS.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2562, 24 June 1882, Page 2

THE GLOBE. SATURDAY, JUNK 24, 1882. SANITARY PRECAUTIONS.

The matters connected with the keeping open of the St. Albans Sunday school in face of diphtheria raging in the district appears to us to point to the necessity for some more effective system of inspection. The Medical Officer of Health reports to the Board that, in his opinion, it is advisable to close the public school to

prevent risk of infection. This is done, but the whole precaution thus taken against the wholesale dissemination of disease was rendered nugatory by the fact that a Sunday school was kept open. How it was that the Board did not take moans to prevent this we are not to'd. Of course the conduct of those having the management of the school, whoever they may be, is exceedingly reprehensible, but still wo feel that immediately it was known that the disease was so rife in the district, it should have been placed under surveillance of the Board of Health officials. As matters now stand it appears possible for any foolish persons to gather children together, and in fact establish a disease-disseminating institution in face of the steps taken by the Board of Health to prevent it. This being so, it appears to us highly necessary that the Board should be placed in a position to absolutely prevent, by a rigid and thorough impaction of what may be called an infected district, any spread of disease. It is impossible to say what amount of 5 mischief has been done by the assembling together of the children referred to. It is well known that the germs of disease are commnmto'itad with great rapidity by contact such as this, and though they may remain dormant for some time, it is more than possible that it will surely break out sooner or later. The mischief if any has unfortunately been done, but it points a moral, inasmuch as it shows the necessity that exists for careful supervision by the Board of Health in such cases. Had an inspector or some other person in authority been specially detailed to watch over St. Albans district nntil the epidemic abated, there would have been no opportunity for the Sunday School enthusiasts to still further increase the danger to a large section of the community. We trust our fears are ill-founded in this matter, but we have very grave apprehensions that the action taken will most seriously impede the efforts made by the Board of Health to prevent the spread of disease. INCREASED POLICE PROTECTION. The frequency with which reports of 8 ticking-up and assaults after dark appear in the public papers calls for some attention on the part of the anthorities. It will be remembered that in nearly every case the attempt at violence has occurred iu the suburbs away from the centre of the city and, consequently, police protection. But, while fully recognising the great claims the valuable merchandise stored in the city proper has for protection, we cannot see why the comfort of the suburban residents should al'ogether be ignored. They, equally with the merchants and tradesmen whose valuable property is in the city, contribute towards the cost of the police, and are therefore only asking what is their right when they require at least a portion of protection. As matters now stand, those who reside in the suburban districts are absolutely at the mercy of any band of ruffians who may mako up their minds to levy black mail. We shall, of course, be told that the police force is inadequate to the requirements of the place, and perhaps this is so. It would of course be impossible to have a policeman parading all the streets of the city from the centre to the belts, but we think there is a way in which a fairly effective protection might be afforded to the suburbs. This is a system similar to that adopted some years ago in Sydney. Two or three mounted policemen could be placed on duty each night, starting say at eleven p.m., and patrolling all the streets outside the centre block. The uncertainty of the particular time at which the patrol would be at any given point, and the great superiority of a mounted man over one on foot, seems to ns to point to the most practical solution of the difficulty. We are not quite sura as to the strength of the mounted portion of the force, bat surely, for the winter mouths at least, two or three men could be spared for this duty. As already stated, the proposed system has been tried elsewhere, and worked well. Larrikinism was rife prior to this being done, but two cr three of the chief offenders were brought to justice, and it was virtually stamped out. The same thing we feel sure would be the result here. At any rate no harm conld result from trying the experiment, and wo commend the idea to the serious consideration of Mr. Broham and the City Council. Another great preventative of such offences is increased light at night. At present, for some reason or other, the public lamps which exist are carefully extinguished just when they would be moat useful. Besides this, the number is entirely insufficient when compared with the population. In other cities of the colony, notably Dunedin, the lights ia the public lamps are not extinguished till daybreak, and this is a very efficient aid to the police in the repression of crime. But iu Christchurch after I am., more particularly during the winter months, the city is virtually at the mercy of any clever gang of thieves who might almost with impuu'ny rob at their pleasure. In some of the shops, it is true, lights are kept burning all night at the private expense of the owner, but wa contend that the extinction of the city lamps at the hour now fixed is a relic of—we were going to say barbarism—the olden times of Christchurch, which, like other fossilized institutions, it is quite time was altered. With a patrol such as wo have suggested, an increased number of lamps and exfeneiou of the hours of lighting, we should hear no more of the assaults upon peaceful citizens, for which Christchurch is rapidly achieving a most unenviable notoriety. The question of increased expense is one of course which will be urged against the adojttiou of the course proposed, but wo would desire to point out that it would only be for say four, or at most five, months of the year that it would be required, and it would be money well spent. THE DEPUTATION NUISANCE. It is with much regret that we observe iudications of an hi tempt to turn the projected visit of the members of both houses to Christchurch into an excuse for a series of deputations. Apart from the bad taste of the proposal, eooirg that

the visit is made for a special purpose, we would point out that the proper course to take would be to submit petitions on any Bubjoot to Parliament whilst it is sitting. It is not as if the session had closed; then, perhaps, there would be some excuse for badgering the members of the Government and the House with deputations on every conceivable subject. But to turn what is intended as a holiday visit into work of no very pleasant character seems to be a very peculiar method of extending a welcome to our visitors. We hope, therefore that the idea will be abandoned, and that the proper and constitutional method of laying any grievances before Parliament by petition will be substituted.