THE PUBLIC HEALTH

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 157, 12 October 1910, Page 3

THE PUBLIC HEALTH

DR. VALIXTIXE'S PROPOSALS. REJECTED BY THE BOROUGH COUNCIL. The Xew Plymouth Borough Council on Monday night had a discussion on the proposal of Dr. Valintine, Chief Health Officer, that the local bodies in the Taranaki hospital district should delegate to the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board their powers as local authorities under the Public Health Act. The Mayor gave .his adherence to the scheme. G\ Watkins complained that the letter from Dr. Valintine was silent upon the question of cost. Joining in with the new scheme mfcht prove expensive, and he moved that the Council take no steps in the matter but maintain the existing arrangement. Cr. F. C. Bell ringer pointed out that there was a probability that the newscheme would bring about a saving, for the local bodies' contribution to the salary of the inspector would earn a £ for £ contribution from the Government. The Xew Plymouth borough occupied an unique position in this matter, being allowed to have a sanitary inspector of its own instead of joining in with the district scheme under which Mr. F. B. Gardiner was appointed. He explained that Dr. Valintine's aim was the simplifying of the present scheme of sanitary inspection and allied duties. Cr. Dockrill seconded the motion pro forma. He had, he said, been looking into the matter, and he had not been convinced that the new scheme proposed would conduce to greater efficiency or economy in the sanitary inspection of the borough. The Council had to pay an inspector at present, and they had in Mr. Kendall a man as fully competent, he thought, as any man that might be procurable. There was the one outstanding advantage of the present scheme, in that Mr. Kendall was on the spot, and able to attend each case ,as it came, whereas the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board's inspector might be days before he could attend to a reported case. At the same time, Cr. Dockrill concluded, he could 'hardly see his way to oppose the Council falling into line with the other local bodies in this scheme. Cr. Wilson expressed himself in favor of the motion, but failed to understand Cr. Dockrill's attitude. If the councillors would but think for .a moment of the extent of the Taranaki hospital district, it would 'become obvious to them that any one inspector would be wholly incapable of supervising the sanitary wants of the district at the very time when he would be most wanted —in time of epidemics. He was averse to foregoing any more of the powers conferred on it. for they had already had one sample that evening of the trouble which had arisen by delegating some of their powers—in relation to the licensing of public buildings—to another body, the Fire Board. The Council should keep all the powers conferred on it for the pood government of the borough. When Mr. Kendall joined the borough some years ago to supervise the sanitation of the borough, the appointment was mad-e with the full sanction of the Health Department.' Ever since that time Mr. Kendall had been their inspector, and no one could say he had not been an efficient officer. What had needed to be dene had been done well, and- at a minimum of expense. Cr. Gilbert considered there was no justification for any alteration, whien would probably ejitail further expense. Mr. Kendall' and Mr*. Tipping were quite capable of carrying'out uiese-duties as well as any man workings under - Dr. Valintine. One point that' he objected to was that; Dr. Valintine had ! notf given a lead as to the probable cost of working under the new arrangement. Heaven only knew what would be run into by a Hospital Board which had just decided to purchase a large property at £BO an acre, and no one had the right to question them. The Hospital Board seemed to be a supreme body, wtaich could just exactly as it liked. Cr. Hobbs: Like the fire inspector! Cr. Gilbert, resuming after the interjection, said that the Hospital Board was the only board that he 'knew of which was empowered to undertake such ■an expenditure without being responsible to the ratepayers'. Cr. Bellringer (who is also chairman of the Hospital Board), interjected: We have to get the sanction of Parliament! ': Cr. Gilbert: Bah! The sanction of • Parliament! What does that matter? It's the sanction of the ratepayers we want. The Board has spent £20,000, and on what? (A councillor: On the Old Men's Home). Yes, continued the speaker, and a hospital on leasehold ground. The next .thing will be that we will have Dr. Valintine appointing a medical man as inspector at about £SOO a year. Dr. Valintine may have the Hospital Board |at his fingers' ends, but not us. It seems to me that there is no Hospital Board, but only Dr. Valintine. Cr. Bellringer questioned the right of Cr. Gilbert to continue in this strain. Cr. Gilbert said ihe was quite in order in referring to Dr. Valintine, whose scheme they were discussing. The Doctor was working to control the whole of Xew Zealand himself, and put medical men in office to carry out his views. This Council would be very foolish to adopt any of Dr. Valintine's proposals at the present time. Cr. Browne was not satisfied with the assurance of the Chief Health Officer that one man could do the work of in-, spection in such a large area. Cr. Bellringer said it was a surprise to him that Xew Plymouth was so highly favored. This borough had its own arrangements in regard to sanitary inspection, and .that made it harder* for the borough to join in with the suggested scheme. He had gathered from members of local bodies who contributed to the salary of Inspector Gardiner that it was better to have this work under the control of one responsible body. As a Hospital Board member he didn't care two straws whether the Council adopted this scheme or not.

The motion was put and carried without dissent, and the Council declined to be represented at the suggested conference of local bodies' representatives,