CLEANING UP.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 January 1922, Page 3

CLEANING UP.

f STATEMENT BY HON PARR. [in TISLEGKAI’H —I'EH PRESS ASSOCIATION | WELLINGTON, Jan 7. Hon C. J. Parr, Minister of Health, visited city hotels and restaurants, and found evidence of active cleaning up, but some kitchens, especially in restaurants, were not wholesome, requiring further action. Many eating house kepers were handicapped by the fact that buildings were old, wherein the constant use of whitewash and disinfectants were necessary. Mr Parr considered these places should be licensed and the kitchens kept up-to-date. The worst place seen was one wherein ' the wall paper was at least twenty years old and covered with flyspecks. An army of flies was swarming about settling on the food. On the other hand one big place visited had the modernest arrangements, assuring the food being prepared under 1 the best liygenic conditions. The Minister says he has instructed the Director-General to give immediate attention to local authorities licensing eating-houses to impose conditions for the benefit of the public, who pay for tlui food and are entitled to know it is wholesome. Apart' from plague possiblities this was a matter requiring immediate attention. Mr Parr is convinced that eating houses are not the only places where rats thrive. There were more indications of rats in warehouses dealing largely in paper, than in all the places visited where there was food. In an official statement. the Minister said we have all got lax. Wellington is not any worse than Auckland where practically the same conditions exist. Both the Department and local authorities are to blame for the existing conditions. He is representing to Dr Valin tine that concerted action must he taken i lght away in cases where owners neglect to clean up. A blue paper summons is the only cure. There will he a large batch of prosecutions next week.