HOKITIKA BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 October 1923, Page 1

HOKITIKA BOROUGH COUNCIL.

SPECIAL MEETING. El! I DAY. OCT. 5. A special meetiuj» or the Council was held hi / .HO p.in. to meet Or Telford, District Health Ollicer. There were pre sent .Messrs C. A. Perry (.Mayor). Evans. Kini;. Heinz, .Iclfries, Mackey and Ciuilson. Or Telford said l:c wished to discuss a lilt the Cut'.'u il the matter or n pn> per -owacrti system for the town, (’here were two systems, a suwatre svsleiii ami a Storm water system, or a > unbilled -ew am! storm Wiiter system. ( )t tie two he preferred the separate -V'leins. A matter that the Hoard a Mealth re.|t,u«.-d to !»o put in ■•pei .t? ion was Lite met t il t* inn of a re -I tu>e roilei-tioit -rrvicc. Tins was a) matter that must receive early aUen-j iio.u He a 'he,| the ( otineil to ohta.in ee ■ :ipiaeet s report on the question of Ihe d"o-I allot ion of a sewaeo sV'telll, ami to place it l.eidre the Hoard of Health at it - next mo tine in November. Dr Telford urevd the immediate attention of the Council to his requests and stall'd he did ttut think the Cmniedlors were takine up their duties in this resiKrl very sorioltslv.

'(lie Mayor said the Council had in the past coiisiflen.il the matter of a sewage system, hut the cost of the proposal was far beyond the means of the town and therefore nothing had been done when the report wa> submitted.

Dr Telford said it appeared that thev wen. satisfied to live under the present tilt 1 1 v eoiiditions. .Mr Perry tool; exception in these n-letences as uncalled for. Dr lellotd said that ho look the view IT the remarks of the Mayor. Air I’errv said that the town had eopious miniall ami there was not tie danger o! iniectious dis'etises liero t.s ott the h.ast Coast. As a maltin' of lad the only place where there was any serious infectious disease was at tlm .Mental Hospital where there was a capable medical i Hirer in eharpe who was doitm his utmost with the health officers to prevent l lie spread of ith tioii, not with full success.

I)r IVltord said he aeknowledocd Dial, l.ui t lit' re were also sept if I liniaN mill diphtheria. Mr Derrv stated that what inieetims h'i:i'(‘s there were iti the town wo re marly all aide to he traced to contacts rum the .Mental Hospital. At any all' there were no epidemics that were itl rihntahle to (ho want of a scw.'iyo i.vslt’iit. Dr lei lord rejoined that it'they pray’d ter it lone cnouyh they may lave OK'. In answer to Mr C'otllson as to v,holier they approved of septic tanks, T)i ’chord stated the Health Depart tneo! •ere nyaii-st the I'Ullioy in of septic auks. Mr Derry a sited how it vrn- then that >r D 'lord had approved id the plaeiny I a septic tank to tunned. tip wit 11 Hi tat mu inasior'e new house at the rail j ay ‘dal ion. Dr Telford i, plied t hat it was the | Is l t ' a: t hat was available at jv« j ■'.on. i Mi l ..itlseot -aid iliai when Dr liras •< e »;r in char*. 1 lie Health Di> tii'i he had i I'eoiiiineoded the preseni pan s\ si.■ jV;, reeocoisiii" that a .-cv-tye >: tern was heyond ihe means of the i otiticil. j Hr Telford --aid perhaps at thill Urn ! ii v.e 1 1 he-.;, r i an improvement r.r, . Hi. want i! .ysieiii in lone before ! hut it. wa- only a makeshift at the he'd. and the time had eoiite for an improvement to he made. Thouyh tie-, meed the installation o| ;l . w.ipo system. it v.as not necessary tc have th" w hole woi k done at once. They sliotild eel a proper scheme drawn up by a capable engineer, and I hen they could attack it in sections, doiny those in tlie most populated portions of the town (ir.st, and eonl initiny as • 1 1<■ j r funds would allow. Mr Kvaiis said with a view euminy to some tanyihle doei.sion he would move that ill" Couneil haviuy heard Dr 'I chord in conneeiiou with the proposal for a sowaye s ( .|„.tne, a letter he

written to the Do port me »t of Health a ski up for them to supply the services of an engineer to report on tin* cost. That it he pointed out that the Council had already the proposals of Mr Leslie Reynold-; and that these he utilised to bring up a report on a scheme that would be within the means of the Council, lie thought that the Council recognised the need of the proposal hut it \va purely a matter of finance, and the Council would he glad if the Hoard of Health would co-operate. He therefore suggested that the reports at the disposal <>l tin- Council bo placed in tin' hands ni the Board of Health., j and that they lie asked to supply a. leasable scheme within the means of the Council. The proposals the Council had so had placed before them were lai beyond the resources of the comtmiuii' , and a lean to carry them out would mean doubling the present rate which wav already heart enough. .'dr Mein/, 'aid the Borough was only • a auali one and could not afford any hoary c.xpendittide. They already had to spend large amount oil their roads and luotpaths to make them passable and a large loan was out of the question. .Mr Berry seconded the motion, which In- considered would show that the Council were not antagonistic, hut oil the contrary were sympathetic and were prepared to do something if only u practicable scheme was put forward at a reasonable cost. The motion was then agreed to. Dr Telford then referred to previous cone p.indent e with the Council in reference to the provision of suitable conveniences for both males and females at places of public amusement, lie described the present conditions as most unsatisfactory. The Council discussed the matter at some length, staling the action taken and rci'erring to correspondence with the Princess Thoatre Coy. of which a copy had been sent to Dr Tellord. while il was staled the Soldiers’ Hall when completed would have the requirements attended to. l)r Telford then requested that the Council take step-- to arrange lor the 1 insisting of the granting of . building permits before any additions were made and that in each case lie fore a permit was issued that ample arrangements he made for proper air space, ample, lighting and water supply and , complete drainage. lie staled that tin- Council required an improved by-law to deal with. | This drew a retort from the Town Clerk that the Council's present bylaw on the question was exactly as supplied by the Health Department. Dr Telford said lie would he prepared to supply a model hye-law that would tighten up the requirements. Mr Jell Vies said there was no doubt thiit the low n needed some improvemen! ami they should endeavour to give of let I tu the demands of the I lealth Department.

it was stall'll that Die IVpartinonl had iln - power in requisition the Council to gin I'lli'ct to its requirements, and the Art gave the Council power to raSe a loan it;r nm-.'iirv works with-

out an appeal in tin- latepayers for authority by poll, ! i;iin<'illor< I the opinion ilia! if thin ((.uis!' wan pursued it • -add load to a deadlock like the presi'iii posiiion in. ilie Itul,r—suggested Alter I'urlher dismission Dr Telford ■a id tlm-e were all Die ilia Iters lie wished lo briny before the Council at ili:> pie-vut time and (he meeting terminated ai 8.110 n.m.