THE Pukekohe and Waiuku Times PUBLISHED ON TUESDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOONS. TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 1916 PUKEKOHE'S SANITARY PROBLEM.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 155, 14 March 1916, Page 2

THE Pukekohe and Waiuku Times PUBLISHED ON TUESDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOONS.

TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 1916 PUKEKOHE'S SANITARY PROBLEM.

"We nothing exlenuate, nor tet dovm auaht in malice."

The absolute urgency of some sanitary measures being taken by the Fukekobe Borough Council to safeguard the fteilth of tne business portion, or rather the more populous part, of the borough again received attention at the Council meeting last Ihursday. Although the district has been Bingularly free from any epidemic produced by insanitary conditions the danger of an outbreak is ever existent and it is much better to be wise prior to such an event than tc be Borrowful and farced into action when damage has been done. The nauseous fact must be fac!d that the gradual accumulation of night-soil deposits in grounds of naturally limited extent attached to dwelling houses and business premises in the centre of the town ig not on/y intolerable but is calculated in course of time to be attended with disastrous effectß it typhoid or any other similar disease made its appearance. The Health Department's medical officer has already issued a warning oa the subject, and this is the reason that the Borough Council, despite the r cent rejection by the ratepayers ot the proposed drainage loan, are not disposed to let the matter rest. The decision actually arrived at by the Council is that if twenty-five per cent tf the ratepayers included in ite special drainage area sign a petition asking for another loan poll to be taken their wishes will be acceded to, failing which or if the projected loan is again defeated some form of night-soil removal will be instituted in the interests of tfce community. 'J his is in every way a common-sense and equitable arrangement, as with provisional approval signified in advance by one-quarter of those entitled to vote on the subject there would seem a reasonable prospect of a majority uf votes being secured at a poll. In other words, since the number ol qualified voters totals exactly 200 the number of signaturis to the petition required by the Council is 50, or just double the number of voters CJS) who supported the scheme at the last poll. It if, however, to he assumed that the drainage plans as previously voted on will undergo revision and alteration before the ratepayers are again consulted since the Council have in the meantime been advised that the c mmandeering of private property for the route of the sewers must be attended by compensation to owners. By the sewers being laid in the streets a ;ood deal of previous opposition on

the score of detuuent to properties will be avoided, A pronouncement on this score from the Council would undoubtedly clear the air to a considerable extent, and would certainly be an incentive to certain opponents to withdraw previous opposition.