SANITARY CONDITION OF AUCKLAND.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 November 1921, Page 4

SANITARY CONDITION OF AUCKLAND.

A (,’LKAN-Ul’ SUGGESTED. AUCKLAND. Nov. ID. During the present week it bits Itcen shown by descriptions published in tho “Herald" of various garbage and rubbish tips in the city and suburbs, that the sanitary .condition of the city is not till that it might he. The plague scare has drawn attention to the matter. Those dumps are tho homes of hordes of rats, ami that danger to the public, health is thereby occasioned is being pointed out in the nowspa|>ers. A question regarding one of the tips was asked in Parliament yesterday by ■Mr Slat ham. In reply, the lion. C. J. Parr expressed surprise at the statement contained in Tuesday's “Herald, mid said that everything necessary was being done.

Tlie “Herald.” ill an editorial this morning states that it cannot endorse Mr Parr’s favourable report. The paper says: “So primitive a system of depositing household anil other refuse in open dumps throughout the city and its suburbs should not he allowed to continue. It is folly to say that n thorough and complete clean-up is in progress. With Mr Parr’s statement that the people realise the danger, there will lie genera'] agreement. In spite of the danger of plague, rats escaping beyond tho waterfront, the Municipal Councils of Auckland are not only allowing individuals to he cureless in disposing of fond waste, hut many of them are systematically collecting house refuse, most of which would otherwise to destroyed, and dumping it. into what are nothing less than rat farms and breeding places for (lies, mosquitoes, and other carriers of disease. There is renllv no occasion to bring the plague into tlie matter at nil. Rats and flies and mosquitoes are undesirable aliens in any condition, and should lx* fought, vigorously and persistently. Obviously tlie first step is to deprive them of breeding and feeding grounds, and the time to net. is while the city lma a clean hill of health."