INFECTIOUS DISEASES.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 April 1919, Page 6

INFECTIOUS DISEASES.

, BOROUGH SANITATION, Dealing with the question of borough sanitation in relation to the spread yf infectious diseases, the town clerk of New Plymouth (Mr. F. T. BellringerJ in his annual report to the Council says: SANITATION. For several years past this borough, in common with other boroughs throughout New Zealand, has bean very much laudicappei in its efforts to prevent or chick the tnead of infectious disease? by tha unsatisfactory position of the law in regard to this matter. Whilst the public in general look to the Borough Council to safeguard the health of those residing within, the borough by taking steps to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, the Council has in reality very little power in regard to tlie matter and what little power it has is so restricted by continual references to other authorities as to be of no practical value- The local authority charged with the responsibility of preventing or checking the spread of infectious diseases in this district is the Taronaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board. This board controls a district extending from Opunake to Awaldno and inland beyond Inglewood. Comprised in this district are the boroughs of New Plymouth, Inglewood and Waitara, the town district of Opunake, besides a large number of villages and a vast area of country districts. For the whole of this large area the Board has one inspector. However competent their inspector may be it must be obvious to everyone that it is an utter impossibility for him to satisfactorily discharge throughout such a large district the important duties placed upon him- Recognising this the Borough Council in the past had to fall back upon the powers conferred upon it by "The Municipal Corporations Act" and by its own by-lawß. In consequence there, were two inspectors, part of whose duties were almost identical, working in the borough. Each, however, worked under entirely different powers, and each was controlled by a different local authority. This lead to overlapping and confusion and really nothing else could he expected. The matter was considered by the Council on several occasions and in 191,7 I recommended that an agreement should be arranged with the Taranaki Hospital Board upon the lines of that obtaining in the city of Auckland, whereby the Council's inspector would hold a direct appointment from the I Government Health Department and should be responsible for all matters respecting public health within the borough boundaries. The recommendation appealed both to the Council and to the Hospital Board and after a conference in 'March, 1018, an agreement was finally arrived at and submitted to the Health Department for confirmation. Conferences were held with the District Health Officer and with the Chief Health Officer, the latter intimating that he could not see his way to recommend the Department to confirm the agreement. The same unsatisfactory condition of affairs still exists. The prespect of arriving at a satisfactory arrangement in regard to the matter has, however, since been much improved by the passing last session of The Pubiic Health Amendment Act, 1918, section 28 of which apparently authorises the Minister of Public Health to make an arrangement upon the lines previously indicated. It would be well therefore, for the Council to make a further effort during the coming year. The Act quoted also greatly extends the power of the Council in regard to matters of public health andMias removed some of the difficulties that councils previously labored under. 1 INFLUENZA OUTBREAK. As will be seen from the preceding remarks, the Borough Council has practically no powers to take steps to check the spread of infectious diseases. Warned, however, by the outbreak in Auckland, the Council was early alive to the danger of an outbreak in New Plymouth and a letter was written to the Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board enquiring what steps the Board proposed to take and offering the services oi the Council and its officials in any way the Board might indicate. After relating all the steps taken in connection with the epidemic, which are familiar to everyone, the town clerk says:— > It is not within the scope of this report to enter deeply into the work of the committee or into a discussion as to the cause of the outbreak and the lessons to be learned thereby. A Government Commission is now sitting which will deal with these phases of the question and their report will no doubt be made public in due course. Confining ourselves to the New Plymouth borough alone it will be sufficient to say that out of a population of 8700. some*27oo of the inhabitants contracted the disease, 42 of whom lost their lives. The mortality would have been much greater had it not been for the splendid efforts of the Health Committee, the doctors and nurses and those assisting them. The community is under a deep debt of gratitude to them all and in the gratitude of the people they will find their most satisfactory reward.