FISH AND FILTH

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 316, 4 July 1912, Page 7

FISH AND FILTH

AUCKLAND PRACTICE. HAWKERS WASH THEIR WARES IN CITY SEWAGE. Auckland. Monday. The fish-loving public of Auckland has not been particularly pleased to find that a considerable portion of its supplies is washed in sewage. For some time past it has been the custom of some of the hawkers to procure a barrow-load of schnapper, mullet or flounders from the freezing works or the train, and take the fish round to Mechanics B*y to a spot within thirty yards of the sewer outlet, in order to wash them. On the embankment, for a considerable distance along from the timber booms, the scales and small portions of refuse from the fish are to be seen on Fridays, when the demand for fish is much greater than usual. The portion of the embankment from which the fish are washed is not always extensive enough to accommodate all who wish to make use of it. and hawkers haia been known to prepare their wares for sale at the mouth of the sewer itself. At high tide, except for the floating scraps of refuse and a slightly unpleasant smell, there is nothing to indicate the putrid state of the water; but when the tide recedes, a slimy, nauseating sediment (a concoction of filth from the city drains) may be seen for a considerable area round the mouth of the sewer. A few days ago a business man, who lias been aware of the hawkers' practice for some lime, noticed one of them washing the fish near the sewer, and in the interests of public health explained the circumstances to an official of the Health Department over the telephone. He was assured that an inspector would at once visit the spot, but was surprised an hour or so later to see the hawker selling the fish in Queen street.