THE RATE OF MORTALITY IN WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4934, 15 January 1877, Page 2

THE RATE OF MORTALITY IN WELLINGTON.

• ••■'•"■ • ; '' ' • ■» . —— : TO THE EDITOR OP THE STEW ZEALAND TIMES; Sir,—ln Mr. Gisborne's speech, reported in your columns a few ; days ago, he contended that the rate of- mortality is the only proper test of the sanitary, condition of; the city ; but I find, in opposition to what was stated by Mr. Gisborne, that the birth-rate "enters into the question in a very important manner. I find from the statistical tables for the years 1874 and 1§75, that 40 per cent, of the deaths in Wellington were of infants under one year ;.55.;per.,ce»t. of the deaths were of children under five years. Infants under one year died at the .annual" rate of 210 per 1000 alive;' persons *Qver five 'years died at the average annual rate of only 12'per 1000." Thus, whilst we find one' class dying at a rate seven, greaterjthan another,t under the Bariie a saiiitary conditions,it is evident that the relative 4 proportiens of those classes must tie taken into account, before the average death;Jraie bf?the whole can become a trustworthy test of the sanitary condition of any community. ' I find that the average annual birthrate in Wellington for the years above mentioned was 58'64 per 1000 ; the average annual birth-rate in England for the five years ending in 1874 was 35-48 per 1000. Thus, in Wellington, as compared with England, we have 22"16 per 1000—or 65 per cent, more in. proportion of infants; subject to a death-rate of 210 per 1000 ; and; the same excessive proportion of children at \ all ages. These are subject to a high rate of mortality, irrespec« tive of sanitary conditions. Mr. Gisborne ignered this fact ; and by so doing, when comparing the Wellington death-rate with that of the English towns, he simply misled his hearers. Another fact, which Mr. Gisborne found it convenient to ignore when attacking the City Councillors- for their delay in expending the £50,000 available for drainage, was this one : that the present epidemic of diphtheria is confined to that portion of the towri_ which has for many years- enjoyed the. distinction of being drained. Lambton-quay is at present more thoroughly drained than the other portions of the town would be by the expenditure upon them of the whole £50,000. I "think the City Councillors have goed sense on their side in this matter. WMI4 so many are found roundly asserting that ;he past expenditure upon drains has beeti pro* ductive of nothing but mischief, the City Councillors do well in refusing to expend more money upon drains till they see more about it. Let them meanwhile place a dozen scavengers under the direction of the Inspector of Nuisances, and take time to think over a very difficult subject. They should consider appearances—indeed, appearances are the chief thing to be considered—and a drain best satisfies this requirement. Further, a drain, while it secures to us the advantage of seeming clean, does not deprive us of the advantage of being dirty—"the clartiertlie cosier." A drain preserves the smell—even increases it—thus

we have a protection from extremes of temperature. A ameli, as is well known, prevents in a measure the radiation of heat. True, the smell does not much resemble that of nrgnonette or violets ; but that is only a matter of taste, and those whose noses are offended can console themselves with the thought that it will not be for lorig, speedily with the ascending incense they will be wafted to immortality. These are strong reasons in favor of drains ; but almost equally weighty arguments might be advanced against them, even from Mr. Gisbome's -figures, in Mr. Gisboine's manner, and with Mr. Gisbome's animus. Thus, at the Thames in 1874, without drains, people died at the natural rate of 11 per 1009. In Wellington for every one who died naturally in that year, the City Council, by means of a partial system of drainage, murdered another •ne, and half-killed a third; while in Glasgow, by means of a thorough and scientific system of drainage, the city authorities succeeded in killing the .third outright.—l am &c, X.