HEALTH OF NEW PLYMOUTH.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 August 1915, Page 6

HEALTH OF NEW PLYMOUTH.

CLEANER TOWN WANTED. COUNCIL CRITICISED FOR INACTIVITY. The method* employed to preserve (2i« pubiie health of New Plymouth wen strongly criticised at the meeting.of 4h». Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid , Board yesterday. Mr, A. H. Halcoaib# 5 said that some years ago the lto&pEtal * Board bad drawn the Borough C'oinicU'i ; attention to the way in which meat wait' delivered by the town butchers, ani| .had I suggested to the Council that instead 1 ? of the meat being taken round any covering and open to the sun ami ? .dust it should be Wrapped up"*lri a way, 'which would ensure cleanliness. • It #ju| some time since that, had been made, and he wanted to knotvj why a by-law enforcing this had -qnly;! been made now. {

? The chairman (Mr. Bell^ne«m 5 explained that the Borough Council na4|- ; taken three todraw up :4Ml(9*S' i laws and the by-laws werq ouly just out./ : Mr.*Hateoinbe said-it»*w«e useless ior| 'the Hospital.Board.to work to protect! tie piuiWia health of New' Plymout- if*, the Borough .Council took no nottye of ; ' what was .done.

Mr. Af E. Sykes aaid.ie w*a..gj«4 .Mr. HMcombe Jhad brought this matter up, for he w«s the sanitary work was carried on ln{ XW (Plymouth, Recently -he went ioto* a hairdresser's shop to be shaved and tlie atmosphere .prompted 'him to make! an inspection of the yards in tiie neigh-: . ItoAood, with the result that he found the yard in a most disgraceful condition. That such conditions should exist neat a barber's shop was something disgraceful. The town had a man who was supposed to look after these things, and it was a disgrace to New Plymouth tfliat matters were not 'better. The whole syßtem of people collecting rubbish 1 and buTying it in their backyards should be abolished. As far as the Hospital Board waa concerned it could do nothing \\mtfil disease Ibroke out. This was wrong; the BoariJ should have the power to. take; actiottihefore disease broke lout. The soonev the Hospiti.l Board took over tihe whole problem the better it would be for the town. T\yo men were employed to look After -the sanitary conditions of th»~(town T .. but, aljo poundkeepers, dog-tax collectors," and c|d . all sorts of other things, ami could aot concentrate "on the health ,«f tho tow*. The wiole &%fter requirfilj Ito ,be jtoijo into. As far as the Ay4aWß were concerned, it must he said they had takfen a very long time to bring out,

Mr, Halcomibe said that the Counoil was responsible before disease broke' out, and as the Hospital Board did. not come in a \!mtil disease broke but -it was plain tli&t tlie onus of responsibility was on the, Council in the first place. As one who did not live in New Plymouth, "he was disgusted with the position of the town. The way ,in which meat left a certain sliop in New 1 Plymouth was disgraceful to the town, and the people lnul to suffer.' Borough councillors must know the condition of afl'airs, and yet they took up aetin.; The chairman said the Hospital Board was anxious to assist the Borough Council, but for reasons which the Board could not help the Board's efforts wen fruitless, "We have been turned down by the Council in whatever we have tried to do," added Mr. Bellringer. Mr. Halcombc: We had better do something, because it will take the Borough Council another three years to make new by-laws. •

Mr. A. E. Sykes said there were a number of buildings in Xew Plymouth —some in thp centre of the town—-whioh had been condemned some years ago, but which were still standing. The chairman said the problem w»s one for the Borough Council to deal with, as the Hospital Board had no status in the matter. Mr. Sykes thought the, Hospital Heard should hare full control of tlm sanitation of the town, and then Hhe ' nrk could be carried out better than at ?Tcsent. The chairman; It could not be ivci'se, any way.

The subject then dropped.