HEALTH INSPECTORS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4369, 23 January 1922, Page 2

HEALTH INSPECTORS.

CAUSTIC MINISTERIAL COMMENT. The following circular letter has beeri received by all local bodies from Mr T. H. A. Valiiitine, D.ii’ectorGeneral of Health :— ‘'Sir, —I |havc receivd the following memorandum, dated to-day, from the Hon. the Minister of Health, and have been instructed by him to forward a copy thereof to the Mayor off every Borough and the Chairman of eveiy Harbour Board wit|h .a direction that instructions on the lines of the Mini ister’s memorandum be given to ail inspectors in your employ, and that, : each inspector/ be furnished with a copy of the Minister’s memorandum. Will you be good enough to action accordingly. “ Re i Inspection and Precautions.— My personal investigations over the last few days convince me that there are many negligent and culpable people whc'will heed no warnings. It is no use an inspector merely, talking to a shopkeeper and asking him to kill rats. What happens ? In five cases out of ten the shopkeeper simply goes to sleep. In my judgment no inspector is worth jliis salt who does, not folow up his warning and see, the work is done. Hitherto, I regret to say this has not been always the practice by some inspectors. The ... time has gone by for notices and remonstrances. I require, prbsecu- ’ lions. “I was told by an inspector the other day that he could not get sufficient material for a prosecution. That " man was going about with his .eyes , shut. “The Minister to-day is placed in this position: that any policeman or press reporter can give himmore i n-. formation in ten minutes abput rat conditions in the city than the men who are paid hy the Council and the Government to do the job. The ini specters as a rule are good men. but , some are too easy and apathetic. The time for exhorting and advising'has gone. Wherever an inspector finds conditions likely to harbour rats, a piece of blue paper from the Court’ should reach, the proprietor within twenty-four ■ hours. The enemy is. not only the rat, but an extraordinary apathy in the average man. Therefore, in the public interests, the law must now be vigorously involked.— (Signed) C. J. Parr.”