YEAR’S WORK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 April 1940, Page 9

YEAR’S WORK

! BOROUGH COUNCIL REPORTS DECREASE IN NOTIFIABLE DISEASES. | MANY PHASES OF ACTIVITY REVIEWED. At the monthly meeting of the Masterton Borough Council last night, the Borough Inspector. Mr. T. A. Russell, and the Engineer Mr. C. R. Mabson, submitted their annual reports covering activities of the borough for the past year. Mr. Russell reported as follows— Notifiable infectious disease: Diphtheria. 4 cases: pulmonary tuberculosis, 8 eases; scarlet fever. 4: poliomyelitis. 1: erysipelas, 4; total, 21 cases, a decrease on last year’s figures of 35, diphtheria dropping from 33 to 4 cases. A very considerable amount of immunisation work against diphtheria has been carried out by the Health Department during the year, but this work has not yet been extended into the Wairarapa. Plumbing and draining: Thirteen sewer connections to private property were installed and a considerable amount of drainage work in connection with the Government residences was carried out. Two hundred and thirtytwo plumbing and drainage permits were issued. Our plumbing and drainage work continues to be of a good standard and our relations with the master plumbers and journeymen plumbers have been very satisfactory. We have 24 registered plumbers on our register. Twelve drainlayers' licences were issued, six to men who are also registered plumbers. A further 35 Government houses were completed during the year. Inspection fees on the Government houses amounted to £8 15s. Water supply: An inspection ot the catchment area was carried out and two samples were taken for chemical analysis, the water proving of good quality. Requisitions: Various owners and occupiers were required to carry out the following work: Plumbing and drainage repairs, 96; clear noxious weeds. 86; cut back shrubs, 46; clear creeks. 2G; provide adequate rubbish bins. 14; remove accumulations. 26: remove dead sheep. 5: provide adequate water supply. 3; remove fowls, 5; abate nuisances. 7; abate fly nuisance, 7: building repairs, 6; total. 332. Forty-six dogs were destroyed. Milk Supply: Fifty-two samples were taken for general analysis. All the samples were well above standard as regards butterfat and solids other than butterfat. Supplying farms were inspected from time to time, this work being carried out in conjunction with the Government Veterinarian, Mr. M. Armstrong. Conditions on the farms are on the whole good. The T.B. testing of the supplying herds is nearing completion and I hope to soon be in a position to report the result. Food Premises: The following food premises were licensed; Bakers 16. butchers 11, cordial, essence and aerated water manufacturers 3 dairies 13. eating houses 27, fish shop:4. ice cream vendors 30; a total of 104 Thirteen hairdressers were licensed. Hoardings were checked up and fees collected and eight tenement dwellings were licensed. Collection and disposal: This service is running smoothly with extremely little friction, very few complaints being received. I again stress the need for better care of the bins to prevent the possibility of fly breeding and to improve their sanitary condition. Special large rubbish service: This service is much appreciated by residents and is doing a good deal toward keeping our town clean. Special rubbish was removed from 20G premises. ' Offensive trades: I am pleased to be able to state that we have at present no offensive trades operating in the borough. Cattle saleyards: These have been well conducted and no complaints concerning them have been received. These yards are under frequent inspection. Noxious weeds: Noxious weeds as shown under requisitions have occasioned a considerable amount of work. The weeds, however, arc for the most part, in small patches principally elderberry, and I am now of the opinion that the time spent in dealing with elderberry would be better employed in sanitation and therefore respectfully recommend that this shrub be struck off the noxious weeds, list. Dangerous goods: New regulations under the Industrial Efficiency Act have been gazetted controlling the sale of motor spirit. These are much on the same lines as the regulations of last year except, that the Department will now issue a permanent licence instead of the local body issuing an annual one and that the fee has been increased slightly in one direction. The work is slightly increased. Forty-seven licences to store dangerous goods and 54 industrial efficiency licences were issued. Traffic: Heavy traffic fees collected continue to steadily increase from £2741 16s lOd last year to £2864 2s 9d. notwithstanding that several trucks on the Masterton-Wellington route have been put off the road. Drivers' licences have also increased, from 2329 to 2435. Two hundred and fifty-seven applicants for drivers’ licences were examined, thirty failing to pass the test. Inspector McGregor has been on traffic duty at the saleyards on a number of occasions and the use of a parking area has relieved the congestion which formerly occurred. Prosecutions: No warrant of fitness, 28; no driver’s licence, 15: no light on bicycle, 7: no heavy traffic licence, 6: passing car on intersection. 1: parking on footpath. 1: no tail light, 4: parking over time limit. 3: car parking on angle. 2; speeding, 16; unregistered car. 1: cutting corner. 2; total, 86: fines amounted to £79 7s 6d. Our relations with the various Government departments have again been most amicable and the co-operation given by the various officers has been greatly appreciated by us." concluded Mr. Russell.

ENGINEER'S REPORT. In the course of a comprehensive report. setting out in detail the engineering work of the past twelve months. Mr. Mabson stated as follows: —Permanent mailing was carried out to 1 mile ,3 chains of streets: 1 mile 6 chains wore resurfaced: 7 miles 50 chains of street flanks were tarred and sanded; 3 miles 1! chains of footpaths wore tarred and sanded; 1 mile 59! chains of footpaths were formed, re-formed or graded; and 79] chains of kerbing were put down. The Waipoua River loan work was completed, including suspension bridge, stock route, a ramp in place of old bridge, and the removal of willows along bank of the old channel. Groyne-protection work was carried out al the Queen Street Bridge, and at the Johnstone Street sewage farm. Additional groynes were also constructed at the Hume Pipe Co.'s property. Akura Road. The first portion of the drive into the cemetery was tar-sealed. New truck shed was constructed at the Borough Yard. 'Die Public Works Department's magnetic truck traversed the streets of the borough. collecting 3.| cwt. of nails and

other foreign metal matter. Cow-byre was built at the waterworks farm, at Kaituna. Both the C. & A. and Men's baths were cleaned out and walls and bottoms cement-washed, before they opened for the season. The Centennial Monument was constructed at the south end of High Street. The total quanti-

ties of materials used, with figures for the year 1938-39 in parentheses, were as follow: Gravel. 361! cubic yards (352): sand. 962 cubic yards (1391): meta! (crushed). 866! cubic yards (762); filling. 1248 cubic yards (525); tar and bitumen. 31,185 gallons <45.090); kerb blocks. 1743 (2950).