BEACH COTTAGES.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 April 1922, Page 6

BEACH COTTAGES.

I MATTER OF SANITATION. POSITION AT NGAMOTU. -? FIXING RESPONSIBILITY. A meeting between x the New Plymouth Harbor Board and the Ngamotu. Seaside Committee was held yesterday, to discuss the question of sanitation at the Ngamotu beach cottages, which have recently been the subject of much criticism. The following members of the board were present: —Messrs. C. E. Bellringer, C. H. Burgess, J. McCluggage, J. S. Connett, D. J. Hughes and E. Maxwell. Mr. Bellringer presided in the absence in Auckland of the chairman, Mr. Newton King, from whom an apology was received. The representatives of the seaside committee were:—Messrs. R. J. Deare, R. Ellis, W. E. Bendall and W. F. Short. The secretary of the board (Mr. C. S. Rennell) read a letter received from the Borough Council, conveying a resolution passed on March 6, requesting the board to enforce the clause stipulating that the cottages should not be occupied for more than eight months per year, this being one of the conditions under which permission was given for the erection of the cottages. The council stated that the insanitary conditions were causing the council considerable anxiety, and they felt that some steps must be taken to improve matters. The chairman, in proceeding to discuss the position, remarked that in the past administration in connection with the cottages had centred on the committee, and he thought it would be best for the information of the ‘board if the deputation would first give some information as to affairs at the beach generally. Mr. Bellringer remarked that if the board had to enforce the conditions limiting the tenancy of the cottages to eight months of the year it would involve a big change, and there would have to be a complete readjustment. He recalled that when the original agreement was drawn up a sanitary scheme was designed and brought to the notice of the board, but the cost had been a stumbling block. A system was instituted by which the nightsoil was moved, but apparently this scheme

as being only partially carried out. The ooard would like to know what were the sanitary arrangements at present. THE BOROUGH’S LIABILITY. Referring to the chairman’s remarks regarding the original proposals for a sanitary scheme, Mr. Ellis (on behalf of the deputation) said the septic tank had been discussed, but was out of the question because of finance and also of the problem of pumping. The nightsoil had been removed regularly, and for this work the committee was paying the •borough council £2 2s per house per annum. The removal of garbage, however, had to be given up. If the sanitary service was not properly carried out the borough council was at fault if anyone was to blame. The chairman said he thought the board was pretty well aware as to who was responsible, but he did not think they should stick too much to that point, but rather that they should try to find a solution of the difficulty. Mr. Ellis replied that the borough council was the only party who could remove the difficulty. The council had done well, and the committee had been the “pigeons,” being called on to pay for everything. Though the borough benefited through the tram revenue the committee heui received no assistance. Mr. Burgess quoted the clause in the agreement requiring the board to see that proper sanitary arrangements were made. He asked if this condition had been carried out.

The chairman, in reply, said the board had approved of a certain minimum standard plans for cottages, and he did not think this had been departed from. He thought if there was anything wrong it was really a neglect on the part of the contractors who were paid by the borough council. COTTAGES USED PERMANENTLY. Mr. Bendall eaid he had noticed sinks discharging < n to open ground in two cases, and of course such instances would have to be remedied; he thought sinks would have to be abolished. The whole trouble was that a locality which was only meant for a summer resort Had become a permanent residential quarter. Mr. McC luggage thought the tenants were very lucky to get water and sanitation, and to throw the responsibility on the Ngamotu committee. Mr. Ellis said the tenants had paid up fairly well in previous years, but the borough council had not sent the committee an account for two years, and w! n it came to hand it was oyer £2OO. Then there arose difficulties in regard to collection. The chairman asked if the deputation had any suggestions by which a more perfect system could be obtained. Mr. Ellis thought the ease was one for the borough.

Mr. Maxwell eaid the case perfectly clear. The board had a certain agreement upon which the cottages were let, but he did not think that the borough had any authority to intervene in these conditions. Having rated the property and charged fee« for sanitation and water, the duty of seeing to the health conditions was on the borough council. Their inspector should go down and see if things were in order, and if they were not he could take action. The board, however, could not take that stand. The other alternative wa« for the board to enforce the conditions of terminating the occupancy of the cottages for the winter months, but in practice he did not think this was workable. Mr. Burgess raised the question of whether the borough had not waived the by-laws in regard to the size of residential sections. The secretary (Mr. Rennell) said that, the houses were erected before the locality was taken into the borough. The chairman, in reply to Mr. Maxwell. said hb believed the whole thing had been exaggerated. COUNCIL CRITICISED. Mr. Maxwell did not think the borough council had dealt fairly with the board. They wrote complaining of the conditions, and now. for the first time, i he, for one. was made aware of the fact 1 that the council hod been receiving pay- ’ ment for the services' which had been bmlmwmL Be ifceuabt it.xaa an Mstxn..

ordinary thing how one local body could deal with another in such a matter and leave them in the dark as to the real position. Mr. Connett raised the question of enforcing the time limit of eight months as regards occupancy of the cottages. The chairman asked if the deputation could state how many of the cottages were occupied permanently. ■Mr. Ellis said the committee had fifteen cottages, and they had possession of only two which they desired to relet. In all there were 45 cottages. REPORT ON INSPECTION. Mr. Deare reported that some of the deputation had made an inspection of the beach that morning, and on the whole found the yards fairly clean. There were one or two exceptions, in which action would no doubt be taken by the committee, but he did not think that the conditions were any worse than would be found in the town. At the same time they did not desire to see any sickness emanate from the beach. The committee had done their best in providing cottages for visitors. After a list of the tenants was presented to the board the chairman said he thought there were a number of names of people who could afford to have homes of their own, and it was not fair I that tlhey should be occupying the eot--1 tages and keeping country visitors out. Mr. Hughes urged that the whole thing should be reorganised in order that the town could offer attractions to the people of the whole of Taranaki. Many, he said, went outside of the province at present to enjoy the seaside, and this should not be. In reply to Mr. Maxwell, the chairman said the committee’s license expired on September 1. THE BOARD’S DECISION. After further discussion the following motion, moved by Mr. McCluggage and seconded by Mr. Connett, was carried:

“That notice be sent to the Ngamotu Seaside Committee, drawing attention to the breaches of clauses 6 and 9 of the conditions upon which permission was given for the erection of the cottages on the beach, and that they be requested to draw the attention of the owners who are committing these breaches.” The conditions of clause 6 are:—Except in the case of a building in the bona fide occupation of a fisherman, no person will be allowed to inhabit any building for more than eight months during the twelve monti immediately succeeding the date of the grant of permission to erect, or occupy, premises. Clause 9 stated: The person to whom permission shall have been granted to erect or to occupy any structure shall be responsible for the preservation of good order and cleanliness .... and he will not permit or allow any offensive matter in the vicinity. It was further decided, on the motion of Messrs. Maxwell and Connett, that each licensee be notified that the board intend to strictly enforce clause 6 of the conditions, and that it will refuse to renew the leases on September I to any licensee, who, in the opinion of the board, has not made arrangements for this being done. A copy of the Borough Council’s letter is also to be forwarded to the committee for their consideration. In reply to Mr. Hughes, Mr. Bellringer said no licenses would be issued by the until they had been individually considered by the board.

BOROUGH COUNCIL’S ATTITUDE. In the afternoon the board and committee conferred with the Mayor (Mr. F. E. Wilson), when the chairman reviewed the trend of the previous discussion. He said the opinion seemed to be that the liability was rather on the borough, but the board wished to see the best solution arrived at, and would be pleased to have misunderstandings cleared up, if there were any. The Mayor said there was no hostility on the part of the borough. The resolutions carried at the previous discussion were then read. The Mayor said if the Ngamotu committee made such claims as had been mentioned, the gloves would be taken off. He pointed out that the beach was catered for by a system of rubbish removal, though the locality was out of the borough territory. A system of rubbish removal had been started the week before he took the matter up publicly. The trouble was that, owing to! the fact of the shortage of houses, people had been allowed to remain there year in and year out. Cottages becoming vacant were re-let. while other tenants made no move to get houses. They were living on the best of terms, and paid no rates, despite what one of them said. If it was allowed to drift on, what was intended to be a temporary thing would become permanent, and this was what the borough desired to prevent. He thought they had taken the right steps towards stopping it. Te chairman said the board never intended to allow it to be a permanent thing, but it had to be remembered that they were passing through difficult times and the force of circumstances had been against them.

In the course of further discussion the chairman said it was apparent that the board had no power as a health authority, and the only thing they could do was to tell the people to vacate. The Mayor said that was what the council was aiming at in order to give the place a chance to become clear. The chairman said they could hardly turn people out, and the borough council also had actual illustrations of the shortage of housing. RUBBISH REMOVAL. Mr. Ellis said he did not think the Mayor was quite fair, as he was endeavoring, to put the blame on the Ngamotu committee.. It 'had been stated that repeated and unsuccessful efforts had been made to get the rubbish removed, but Mr. Ellis quoted an account for £249 which the committee had received from the council charging for the rubbish removal. The Mayor said he had it on personal ■ information that the rubbish was j thrown into the sea after dark at night. Mr. 'Ellis replied that the borough was 1 the health authority, and no one else had any jurisdiction. They should prosecute the offenders. The Mayor said the trouble about prosecuting was that so many of the tenants were there only temporarily, as. for instance, for a fortnight at a time. The chairman thought the board had done all they could do, and the action taken would bring the matter to a head in September. Circumstances in the past I had been against them, but a similar ! state had ruled everywhere. They did 1 not want to defame the name of the beaqifc. in m ■ uy attributed t« 1

the beach was t)he result of the fact that the incoming tenant had probably wholly changed his mode of life for the time being. In reply to Mr. Connett, the Mayor said the Jjorongh was the health authority. The chairman said there was evidently some misconception as to how the beach was being treated, but this had been cleared up, and no doubt the borough sanitary inspector would also look after the locality. RESULTS FROM CONFERENCE. The Mayor said the conference had done a great deal of good, but he did not think things would be any better while people were allowed to live permanently on 20 square feet of land. Answering Mr. Burgees, the Mayor said that the systems of nightsoil and rubbish removal included the 'beach. In reply to Mr. Maxwell, the Mayor confessed* that the account mentioned by Mr. Ellis was news to him, but it seemed an extraordinary position if the committee were charged with the items and did not make a complaint if the work was not done. It was evident the account referred to a particular kind of garbage removal, for he did not think the borough would do 15 houses for £6 10s (the mount mentioned) when the cost for one house in other localities was 37s 6d per annum. The chairman said he understood the health officer’s report was not very condemnatory. The Mayor pointed out that the inspection by the health officer was made when cold weather had come, and there was all the difference between that period and the hot days in February. During some of the summer days the place was (literally stinking. The chairman said he was very anxious that it should not go out that in the beach they had a hotbed of disease. If they could deal with the question of permanent residence he believed they would help matters considerably. He understood this was desired on the part, of the borough, and also acceptable to the committee, because they would receive more revenue by letting the cot;tage to casual visitors. If they all worked together they would no doubt achieve some good. Mr. Burgess suggested that the beach committee might help the borough by keeping an eye on the observance of sanitary conditions at the beach. This concluded the discussion, and the meeting rose.