The Lyttelton Times. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 28, 1881.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVI, Issue 6501, 28 December 1881, Page 4

The Lyttelton Times. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 28, 1881.

At last wo have the Ordif'itt Council which brings the amended Public Health Act into force. When, last winter, an epidemic of typhoid in Christ* church was distinctly traced to an ill-kepi dairy, the Board of Health begged the Government to introduce a Bill for tho regulation and inspco* iton of dairies. The Government ro* fused, on tho ground that the Public Health Act contained everything acceaeary for the purpose. This waa more than public opinion could stand. The reasoning of the Colonial Secretary Mid th® law officers was shown to bo bad Tho Act evidently did not contain the powers. All that the Act enabled sanitary authorities to do was to deal with milk after it had proclaimed itself a nuisance. What was wanted was that milk might bo dealt with before becoming a nuisance, milk being a commodity which is liable to become a deadly nuisance long before anybody can be made aware of the fact by any sharpness of smell or fastidiousness of taste. In commenting upon the strange reasoning of the Colonial Secretary we were constrained to use some very forcible expressions on the duty of those who hold in their hands the issues of life and death. Our efforts were simultaneous with those of the Local Board of Health, and were seconded by various sanitary authorities North and Sooth. The result was that the Ocdonial Secretary, who is as well* meaning a man as there is to be found anywhere, being convinced, behaved unlike the proverbial person whoso con* fiction is against his will He gave way, and the Public Health Act was amended. In connection with thia matter there was at the tuqe a Mod of small panic throughout the greater port of New Zealand. The public very properly felt alarmed at the unprotected condition of the dairy interest In all parts of the Colony toe reports of Health Officer®, condemning toe conduct of sundry dairies, had been made public. Milk was known to be the most sensitive of all substances to the poison of disease, as well as the most subtle conductor and distributor of fever. The condition of the law, which did not take the least heed of the milk supply of towns, was very naturally a subject of intense public alarm. The practical mult of the Amended Act we publish in another column. It is an Order-la-Council giving all local Boards of Health the power to make regulations for the registration, inspection and regulation of dairies. To these regulations three conditions are attached. To the first, that “ No one but a duly qualified medical practitioner shall be appointed as an Inspector of milk or dames,” no objection whatever can be made. The weight of toe English experience of dairy inspection, an experience collected over a vast surface, is against the appointment of any other kind of person. Herein the Government have followed the best advice. The second condition will seem to some people to be Draconian. It provides not only that the Inspector, who is a duly qualified medical practitioner, may cause the sale of milk to he prohibited, as likely to endanger toe public health, but that any qualified medical practitioner may, by expressing his opinion that the sale of milk is dangerous to the public health, also cause its sale to be prohibited. This looks like providing in certain oases for an appeal against the Inspector’s decision in favour of particular dairies. It also looks very like a provision for making assurance doubly sure. The effect of this provision will, it may be urged, be that the Inspector wilt always yield to the opinion of any medical expert with whom he may be at variance at the outset of any enquiry. The safeguard against such a result, which is the reduction of the inspector in oer* tain oases to the absurdity of on irresponsibly responsible officer, is intended, evidently, to be found in the third condition. That provide® that any regulation of a local sanitary body may at any time be repealed by the Qoverttor-inrOonnoll. The effect of these conditions, then, is that the Local Board, instead of being dependent absolutely upon its Inspector lor guidinoo in tho important matter of closing up a dairy, may take the opinion of any member of the medical profession for its guidance. Against the decision of the local body, should it be not in accordance with his opinions, the Inspector has the privilege of appealing to the Government It is rather hard to make the Government the arbiter in a case of scientific sanitary dispute. But the Government has plenty of sanitary exports at command. It is besides necessary to have some provision which, while it prevents the Inspector from being absolute, gives the dairy interest protection against both the Inspector and the outside experts who may happen to differ from the Inspector. The public health must have every protection on toe one hand, and on the other the dairy interest most not he overborne by the crotchets of any moo. The dairymen have of course the same right to appeal to the Government that the Inspectors have, and that outside practitioners have whose opinions may not be accepted by the local Boards. The final appellate jurisdiction of the Government will, of course, only be exorcised after the most careful consideration and under proper guidance. The fact that the Government has at last done its duty in bringing the amended Health Act into operation by Order-in-Council, is eminently satisfactory. We never could see any reason why this action should have wen delayed for three months. When we see the kind of regulations which the local bodies are authorised to make, and the simplicity of the conditions which they

must observe in making the regulations, we see still less reason for delay. There is nothing in these that need have ocmtpied the intellect of tho Government mom than holf.an.hour, But tho ways of official etiquette are always fearful and wonderful. Tho great fact is, that os tho typhoid season is approaching, tho amended Health Act has come Into force. The first duty of the now Board of Health will bo to nso Its powers for enforcing tho registration, inspection, and regulation of dairies. Wo hope it will loan no time about it. Tho weather having set in hot, time presses.