PUBLIC HEALTH.

Taihape Daily Times, 11 December 1918, Page 5

PUBLIC HEALTH.

DRASTIC LEGISLATION. < DOMINION HEALTH BOARD. ERECTION OP HOUSES. ENFORCEMENT OF SANITATION. WELLINGTON, Dec 10. Shortly before midnight the Hon, G. W. Russell introduced the Public Health Amendment Bill, a measure containing some far-reaching and drastic proposals. It constitutes a public health board of ten members, consisting of the Minister, the Chief j Health Officer, the President of the i British Medical Association, the Pro- , fessor of Hygiene at Otago University and the Offlcer-in-charge of local government. The remaining five members will be appointed for three yearly periods by the Govcrnor-in-Council. The board’s duties include reporting on advisable developments of the health and medical services, suggested statute improvements, and the relation of the Health Department to local government. District advisory committee will also be established. The existing municipal power with reference to the housing problem is extended to any local authority for the establishment of lodging houses and workers’ dwellings in colonies lof fifty or more houses, with a communal laundry, library, meeting-house, and central domain. With a view to abolishing slums, the Health Office may require a local authority to remove any unhealthy building within eight weeks, or insist on the owner making essential improvements. Provision is made for rigid inspection of buildings and compliance with the Departmental requirements. There are severe penal clauses for breaches. A local authority may borrow without resorting to a poll for the purpose of improving insanitary areas. A drastic clause is inserted to prevent overcrowding. No person may board" more than five lodgers without a license, or let house dr tenement to more than one family, or a room to more than two persons without the local authority’s approval, and a penalty of five pounds daily. Sanitation committees are to be established, and provision is ; made for adequate medical services in country districts: while the Minister may require any borough containing over five thousand people to appoint a medical officer and sanitary inspectors, and no house shall be erected or occupied unless approved by the local auI thority. j The bill prohibits any picture theI atre to be open before 2 p.m. or between 5 and 7 p.m. The Minister is permitted, on the recommendation of the Public Health Board, to establish and maintain lecj turers. instructors of gymnasia, and. | any other methods in the interests of | the public health. j The Bill gives local authorities | power to prohibit the use of houses unfit for habitation. The Minister explained that the epidemic had shown the need for strengthening the public health service in New Zealand, and, in addition, the financial weakness of the .Department, The epidemic had demonstrated that the respective responsibilities of the Department and of local authorities were insufficiently defined. The bill was an attempt to remedy a number of matters urgently calling for attention, A special committee was set up to report upon the measure, and it returned it to the House shortly after 4 a.m. with minor amendments. I After brief discussion the hill I j pasesd all stages.