BOARD OF HEALTH.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1780, 5 September 1884, Page 2

BOARD OF HEALTH.

A special meeting of the Council as a Board of Health took place at 7. o'clock last night in the Council Chambers totake into consideration the report of a special Sanitary Committee appointed to enquire into the sanitavy condition of the borough, and. deal with the Inspector of Nuisances' report, which has already 'been. published in oar columns. The Mayor occupied the chair, and all the councillors were present, ■ . Thfe minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee were read, and it was resolved that each clause be dealt with separately. ' : . Clause I,—Streets. • Resolved to recomiriend-—" That the Works Committee be instructed to consider this part of the Inspector's report, and lay before the council an estimate of the cost of remedying the defects referred to." Adopted.

Clause 2—Creeks.

" Resolved to recommend the Council to give notice to cleanse the'first oreek referred to from its source to the ■boundary of the Borough." The Mayor, said the oreek referred to was the one running from the railway station through the town and church acre, and so on through 'he Dixon estate, No doubt the flood had considerably cleared it of rubbish, but the danger might even be greater now if'not seen t.o, through the accumulation of inud from tho late flood,

Cr Perry asked if'the Council had power to compel occupiers of land through whose properties the creek flowed to clean as recommended.

The Mayor said the fact of its, having been reported as a nuisance by their proper officer gave them the power to dual with die matter.

..Cr Gapper said the flood had scoured out a lob of oress and lodged it on the sides of the creek, and unless rempved, the miasma arising therefronvwould be injurious to health. The creek would require cleaning two feet in width, sufficient ta allow of a constant flow.

Or Price asked if it was not the duty of the Council to keep this drain clean.

Cr Perry said it was well known that the Oounoil had perverted it into a drain.

The clause of the Act empowering the Oounoil to carry out the recommendations, was read, and the clause was adopted. ■ Clause 3—Creeks, continued. • " Also to give similar notice to Messrs Perry and KenaH for the creek running through their properties" Cr Perry asked if the Committee were not aware that steps had already been taken by himself and, the"Acclimatisation Society to clear these creeks when they passed the recommendation (o notify the owners, There wag no need for notice to be given now.

The Mayor said the Committee were not possessed of that knowledge at the time, :

The recommendation was adopted, Cuose 4.—Manure Hea^s,

" That notice be given to the stable proprietors to remove and arrange .for the weekly removal of the stable manure,- and notice be given Mr Macara and Dr Beard to remove their manure heaps. 'Tfat (he Chinese gardeners havo a: similar notice for the removal of the manure on their property near their cottage." Adopted, Clause s.—Drains.

" That notices be given the patties complained of to abate the nuiaanoeg forthwith and where necessary to provide proper watertight cesßpite." . Adopted. Oi/AUSR'6l—Slaughter Houses.

" That notices be 'given to W, Perry and Wickerson & Wagland to clean their slaughtering premises, and that the Council be recommended to consider the advisability of licensing slaughter houses." The Mayor sftid with reference to the question of licensing slaughter houses it was not thought by the Committee that it would be taken into con-1 sideration that night nor for the present provided complaints ceased. If not the question would be brought forward again. The present slaughter houses were built on the weather side of the town, There was a creek iunning near one of the slaughter yards referred to, arid portions of offal and drainings run into the creek and this was carried through the town, and possibly supplied drinking water to some families. This should not be allowed, and if the complaints continued ■ the. Council would take up the question' of' licensing slaughter houses or of erecting suitable [Abattoirs on the lower side of the town, Perry seconded tho.adoptibn of house .proprietors were to .look to. for information as to suitable raeahß"of. keeping their premises clean. :' .• The Mayor said that was their own lookout. For his. owa part lib con-)

' -? sidered that watertight concrete pits might be dug as receptacles, and the contents removed when required on to the lands. If the owners kopt the places clean there would be no complaints. Cr Chamberlain instanced what ho had recently seen in Ohristchurch sirailur to the Mayor's suggestion and the said pits were a decided succosp. Cr Heron said notice had been given to one place on the Upper Plain and an improvement was noticed for two or three days, but after it was as bad as ■ ever,

The clause was adopted, The': additional report of the Inspector of Nuisances to the committee was considered as follows, Clause 7—Habitations. : " That the dwelling occupied by Mr Mr; Billington was unfit for occupation." The committee resolved that notice be given to the owner of this property. , The Mayor said a considepte amount of- information had been supplied about this' house, as it was considered one of the seats of the epidemic, The house was dilapidated arid unfit for habitation. It was also surrounded by piggeries and other miistnces, .and the committee recommendedthat notice,be given to abate the .nuisance.

Cr Heron thought the committee had gone a step too far and exceeded their power in notifying tte owner;v; The clause.in the Health'Act'em powering the Council to.'aci oil the certificate of the medical * offiiset' was read.'

Cr Gapper said they .'were sitting as a Board of Health.The epidemic had: been supposed to' have, originated oiltheso premise!), carried thence 'lo" the public school, and so disseminated through the town, The .recommendation was not, that the building be removed, but for cleansing; but the building was in too dilapidated a condition ■to be'simply cleansed, and the prssentocoupier was' not in a posjisfin to rebuild. . Cr Perry said if the building was unfit to dwell in it should not be allowed to remain, but he would bo softy to jee the Council .take action without further evidence in support of the Inspector's report, Cr Oaselberg said if the , premises were in an unfit state, all they had- tn do was to tell tliem to cleanse tho place. The Inspector had: reported such to be the case. He was 'their officer and they imißfc recognise his ability and support him; ■ The Mayor said it was no use splitting straws over the- question, which was that the dwelling be made habitable. If this could not be done without rebuilding,; the owner would, if he were a man at all, do.so, '■■ • ; The clause was adopted. Clause B— l Garbage.

" That the Inspector of Nuisances should be authorised by the Council to order tho removal of rubbish where and when and to see that occupiers provide proper recepticles for ashes Adujjceil.

This concluded the business. The Mayor said before closing lie would suggest that the Public Works Committee with any outside Assistance l hey may deem necessary, visit tho locality of the railway works and the uver where the overflow took place, and draw np.a report, and submit the same to the Council at its next meeting. It was currently believed that the railway works were the prime cause of the deluge through the town. '. If that was found to be the case and, the committee could get the support of professional opinion it.could be submitted to the Government,

Cr Oaselherg suggested a public meeting be convened, as ;.tl)e;;Works Committee would have to go outside of Maaterton to obtain competent &&»ce, and large fees would have to, befp. The Mayor said ho failed toffee thai* gocd effect a public meeting would* have. (Cr Heron, i Hear;'! ■ hear!) Public feeling might be given expression to by signing a petition. He thought within the county professional skill might be found quite equal to that possessed hy those who had perpetrated the railway job. Cr Heron proposed that the Works Committee report on the Government Works and the "effect on the river to the next meeting to the Council, Cr Williams seconded. He thought this was- (be time to; take-,* action, before the Government rebuilt tha work that had dons the damage. The Mayor said perhaps the, (govern, ment would 'pay'as much attention to a report from them alone as they would if supported- ■by rival - ..'engineers' opinions.

Cr Bessjy said it was quite palpable to any one who saw the flood at the outbreak that the railway works were the cause of the overflow. LTfee .wero only H feet spina to allow of the passage of the water.. Cr Gappersaid there was a sufficient outlet, for the water .before tli&Gt&itient works started,'but th'is"hadWn Stopped, and only two small openings left to carry such a bulk of water aa Came down last Tuesday. Hundreds of pounds worth of damage had been done to the private residences,, and some "70 houses had Jheir floora saturated, and the mud was not away yet, A epidemic more, virulent than the last might result. It this"were pufc before the Government, they would not want any engineers report to substantiate it. Nine-tenths of the natural outflow had been obstructed by the railway bridge and its approaches. The resolution was put and carried*