THE GLOBE. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1882. A SANITARY GRIEVANCE.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2714, 20 December 1882, Page 2

THE GLOBE. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1882. A SANITARY GRIEVANCE.

The spell of warm weather ■which we have had recently has revealed one thing pretty plainly, viz., that there exsists an immediate necessity for attention being paid to the side channels of the city. We are not aware whether there now exists in connection with the City Council go useful an institution as a Sanitary Committee, but if there is we would direct the attention of the chairman to the nuisances existing in our principal streets. From the corner of Cashel street to Hereford street strongly resembles now a tourists’ description of the City of Cologne, where some three hundred distinct unpleasant odours wore wafted through the air. There is no more certain means of dissemmiuating disease than tho accumulation of filth in the side channels. Tho malaria arising is dispersed into tho air, which is breathed by all within reach, and typhoid and other fevers result. There is surely some method of doing away with this nuisance, which threatens, if not attended to, serious consequence. In the first place, we cannot but feel that tho corps of sweepers is far too small, and, besides that, the work is performed in a very perfunctory manner. Economy is all very well, and wo are quite willing to give the Council every credit for devising to expend the money of the ratepayers as efficiently and economically as possible. Bat this does no: do in cases where the public health is concerned. In dealing with tho question of sanitary reform the consideration of pounds, shillings and pence cannot outer. Therefore it is that wo hope the City Council will take stops at once to do away with what has become .a serious nuisance and dangerous to tho public health. Tho side channels in the part of the city we have mentioned, and indeed, in many others, exhale tho moat; poisonous vapors, and, if neglected, it is

more than probable an epidemic may break out. ■ -If it does so, the City Council, as responsible for the health of the city, will be to blame and no one else. We have, however, sufficient confidence in the present Council to believe that their attention having been called to the matter they will at onco proceed to apply the remedy.

OUR NEW MAYOR. To day his Worship the Mayor enters upon a second year of office, and he has, we feel sure, the hearty good wishes of all the citizens that it may be a year of peace and progress to the city, and of comfort and pleasure to the Mayor. Mr. Ruddenklau has, with a single-hearted-ness and desire to do good in his generation which deserves the utmost credit, devoted himself to the service of the citizens during the past year. How well ho discharged the public duties devolving upon him the people themselves know. His generous and openhaudod hospitality as tho representative of Christchurch was tho theme of eulogy by all tho exhibitors from the various parts of the world, and it is to him wo owe the character of Christchurch which has been spread throughout the length and breadth of tho empire for the courteous and generous treatment of visitors. But there was something beyond this which only those can appreciate who come into contact with the Mayor officially or have had an opportunity of seeing him discharging tho more specially business functions appertaining to the office. The visitors saw tho business of the city not left haphazard to ho done anyhow, but despatched wiith the regularity of a well-ordered merchant’s office under the immediate and personal supervision of the principal. This portion of the Mayor’a work, the most onerous and tho least appreciated, because unknown, has been discharged by Mr Bnddenklau faithfully, zealously, and efficiently. We therefore congratulate the citizens on having once more secured - the services of so able a Mayor, and join heartily in tho wish that 1883 may bo as pleasant a year of office to his Worship as that just ended. There is just one point in the address delivered to-day by the Mayor, to which we desire to refer. As is well known, for many months wo advocated tho utilisation of the splendid site in the Market Place and the erection thereon of a handsome structure for a market in the place of the unsightly sheds now existing. In this we are glad to find that the Mayor most cordially concurs. We still hold to the opinion that a market erected at a cost not too extravagant, yet sufficient to give ns a building worthy of the site, would pay handsomely. Tho day is not far distant when it will have to ha done, and we feel sure that when it is, the public will reap groat benefit therefrom.