SANITATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 September 1915, Page 3

SANITATION.

CONDITION OF NEW PLYMOUTH. HOSPITAL BOARD SPEAKS AGAIN. A REPLY TO THE MAYOR. The sanitary condition of New Plymouth was again referred to at a meeting of the Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board yesterday. Mr. A. H. Halcombe introduced the subject by remarking that from the reports of the last meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council it appeared that 'he had "stirred up the mud," It seemed that the Hospital Board and the Borough Council did not "hit it" in this matter. The Mayor had stated that Mr. Halcombe's remarks were absolutely baseless, but Mr. Halcombe would again say that his Temarks were founded on a report submitted to the Hospital Board by Mr. Kendall, the sanitary inspector, in 1912 upon the sanitary condition of the butchers' shops in New Plymouth. The report was considered in committee before it was forwarded to the Department, as it was felt that it would be better to have the matter attended to and corrected before the public knew of the condition of the shops. About eighteen months after this the inspector made another report, in which he said that the remarks made in the 1912 report still 'held good. Mr. Halcombe added that at the last meeting of the Board he had asked the chairman if anything had been done in the matter and the chairman had said that nothing had been done. This was 1915, and the complaints had first been made in 1912 and yet nothing had been done. The Mayor had said Mr. Halcombe's remarks were baseless, but Mr. Halcombe would again point to these reports and say that he had worked on these reports. Two leading business mea in New Plymouth had gone to Mr. Halcombe and said they were very gUd he had brought the matter up, as action was urgently needed. If business men in New (Plymouth would say that, he would say, without fear of contradiction, that there must be something in the remark be had previously made. He had no desiTe to deer;' the town, but rather would work for the benefit of the town and endeavor to promote a proper understanding between the Hospital Board and the Borough Cr.uncii. The Mayor had stated that the Borough Council had never received any communication from the Department concerning the butcheries of the town, but Mr. Halcombe believed that tbe Borough Council had received » report on. this matter as far back as JOW. The recommendations made by the reports of the sanitary inspector in 1912 and 1913 had not been carried out, Mr. G. V. Tate said there was no doubt the matter was unsatisfactory. Mr. Halcombe remarked that the" discussion at the meeting of the Borough Council showed that councillors realised matters were not going on satisfactorily The chairman (Mr. F. C. J. Belliinger) did not think Mr. Halcombe had exceeded his duties in bringing the matter up. The Hospital Board had always desired to work in concert with tits town. With a view to'having concerted nction the Hospital Board suggested some time ago that a conference of delegates of local bodies should be held at Stratford with a view to having public health matters brought under the control of the Hospital Boards. This was in October 1910, and the Borough Council then said it could not see its way to such powers being given to the Hospital Board, and therefore it saw no necessity to send delegates to the conference. This action showed that even in 1-910 the Borough Council did not wish to assist the Hospital Board. The Hospital Board had done nothing in the way of throwing out hostile criticism, and the fact that there had been a stir in the town when the matter was first brought up by the Hospital Board showed that some gtfod had come of the discussion. He did ;iot think the Mayor would feel very pleased when he saw that both the New Plymouth' newspapers had stated that there was room for improvement in the sanitary condition of the town. The present system was not workable, and Mr. Bellringer hoped the Council would realise its responsibilities.