HEALTH OF CHILDREN.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 October 1921, Page 7

HEALTH OF CHILDREN.

EDUCATION BOARD CRITICISED. THE SCHOOL DRINKING WATER. The concern felt by the Taranaki Hospital Board at the large amount of sickness among children resulted in a deputation waiting on the Education Board recently to discuss the position. The subject was again given prominence at yesterday’s meeting of the Hospital Board, when several speakers expressed dissatisfaction at the attitude of the Education Board on this matter. A point made by the deputation was that greater attention should be given to school tanks and the drinking water supplied to children. At yesterday’s meeting the board was in receipt of the following extract from a report recently presented by the Education Board’s architect: “All school tanks are fitted with wash-out plugs in the bottom, and the pipes leading to the wash basins are kept about 24 inches from the bottom of the tank, and as long as reasonable attention is paid to cleansing out the spouting and tanka the wtaer should be quite clean to drink. School committees have the responsibility of keeping the spouting and tanks clean. Some committees attend to the spouting fairly well, but most of them are very neglecful in carrying out this work. “The statement made by a member of the Hospital Board that the school tanks were put up without any facilities for cleaning them out is quite untrue. From the statements recently made one would imagine that it was only necessary to have clean school tanks. In reference to this point I may say that plumbers have repeatedly, stated they only put in wash-out plugs for the Education Board, and it is rare for anyone else to have them.” The Education Board’s letter intimated that committees have been circularised in regard to the necessity for keeping clean the spouting and tanks. NO “WHITE-WASHING.” When the foregoing had been read, Mr. S. Vickers expressed disappointment at the result of the deputation to the Education Board, and his opinion was that some of the members of that body were “playing off side.” Proceeding to quote statements made on this occasion, Mr. Vickers commented on the statement of the chairman of the board (Mr. White), who had affirmed that the allegation that facilities for the supply of drinking water in many of the schools were the same as existed forty years ago, was absolutely without foundation, Mr. White had concluded by quoting a school which had recently been built in South Taranaki, where trapping and filtration had been provided in connection with the tanks. This, Mr. Vickers said, illustrated there was something in the official mind as to the necessity for effecting improvements, but what was one school out of scores of others? If they had to wait till all these were rebuilt in concrete he feared for the health of the community. In reviewing “the remarks that have fallen from the seats of the learned up there,” he was inclined to think that atrophy had already set in. If the board thought that a question of this sort could be white-washed over—and it was a beautiful piece of white-wash-ing—then he feared for the health of the children.

Continuing. Mr. Vickers remarked that although it had been said that proper facilities were provided, he could show the board a case within six miles of New Plymouth, where the school tank had no plug below the service tap. He produced a sample of water drawn off from the tank; it had a brownish discoloration, and contained some funguslike growths which, Mr. Vickers said, i had developed since the water had been bottled. “NOTHING ACHIEVED.” The chairman of the Hospital Board (Mr. M. Fraser) said the deputation had left the meeting of the Education Board on that occasion with the feeling that nothing had been achieved. While it was not pleasant for one public department to be finding fault with another, some of the remarks in reply to the deputation were rather extraordinary. One of the oldest members of the Education Board, an ex-chairman of that body, hacl contended that the hospitals were built for the purpose of receiving sick people, i.e., that the board had no reason to complain as to the large number of eases. The idea of preventing disease had apparently never struck that speaker, said Mr. Fraser, and it was extraordinary that a man Who was practically entrusted with the education of ‘the* children should make such a statement.

The board was not complaining that they had too many people in the hospital, but were desirous that, wherever possible, diseases might be prevented. “It was for the 'benefit of the children we were speakffig (he said) and not for the sake of the hospital! ’ We were pleading for the lives of the children.” Continuing, Mr. Fraser said that this aspect, however, to one member of the Education Board appeared to be nothing—so long as there was a hospital for the patients to go to. The deputation’s experience was, therefore, disappointing. However, as had been previously explained, the control of public health was not now in the hands of the board. It had been given in charge of local bodies, and it behoved these authorities to'take some action, for it was quite evident that while the question was in the hands of the Education Board nothing would, be done. Mr. Vickers pointed out that the Education Board had thrown the onus of supplying pure drinking water on to school committees, who were most ir responsible bodies. WATER IN THE COUNTRY. Mr. A. H. Halcombe, who was the mover of the resolution in favor of e.p proaehing the Education Board, said he was disappointed with the result of the conference. He had not expected such criticism from Mr. Trimble, who, despite his considerable experience, seemed to think the hospital was provided for the purpose of being filled up. Besides the lives of the children, the Hospital Board had other cares, namely, to guard the. health of the public and to watch the interests of the ratepayers.

Mr. G. Capper said that in some cases disease originated from the people’s homes, and he thought that where water was taken from wells it was often polluted by surface drainage. The chairman said the public health inspector should be notified of any such cases. Mr. Vickers said the board had admitted that the danger of sickness vasgreater in the country on a??oun&. of the absence of sanitation. For tluS reaha. baliaved a sjascifd effort should, be

made to instal septic tanks at the schools, and to provide for the filtering of drinking water. “There are 39 children in the hospital to-day, and I am sorry to see that nothing was done. We have done all we could,” said*the chairman, when the discussion came to an end.