H. -.81.

When good water is supplied to, and drainage installed in, Gisborne, both of which should be completed in a very few years from now, this scourge should reach the vanishing-point, as it has almost done in Napier. Relatively to its population, Wairoa with its 5 cases is the highest in the district. The increase in the number of notifications of tuberculosis —6 cases —is so infinitesimal as to be of no moment. lam glad to be able to report a smaller number from Wairoa, 34, as against 53 last year. From this lam led to hope that the efforts that are being made to improve the sanitary conditions of the Natives are beginning to bear fruit. The aggregate number of cases of diphtheria notified for the whole of the district is the same for this year as last —viz., 44 cases. I regret to have to report that Napier is to the fore with 15 cases as compared with only 7 last year. It is difficult to account for the increase, for the town has progressed in sanitation. Hastings and Gisborne have fewer cases this year than last—B and 7 compared with 19 and 9in 1905. The decrease in Hastings is very satisfactory. Deaths. For the whole district : Total from all causes, 469, compared with 432 in 1905, 414 in 1904, and 452 in 1903. It will be observed that there is a slight increase over previous years, but the excess of 17 this year over the number in 1903 is probably not a relative increase, owing to the largely augmented population. The number of deaths from typhoid fever is 5, from diphtheria 2, from cancer 22, from tuberculosis 32, from erysipelas and blood-poisoning 5, from other zymotic diseases 4. There is a slight decrease in the number of deaths from cancer —22 this year and 26 in 1905—but this small decrease has no significance. There is a satisfactory decrease in the number of deaths from tuberculosis —32 in 1906 and 56 in 1905 : decrease, 24. Napier. —Total from all causes, 150, 10 more than last year. From typhoid fever, 2 ; diphtheria, 1 ; cancer, 13—there were 14 last year; tuberculosis, 15, compared with 20 last year. The reduction of 25 per cent, of deaths from tuberculosis is satisfactory. The reduction of lin the number of deaths from cancer has no significance. Hastings. —Deaths from all causes, 57, a marked decrease with an augmented population ; the deaths from all causes in 1905 were 61, and in 1904 65. From cancer, 2 ; from zymotic diseases other than typhoid or diphtheria, 4. Wavpatca. —From all causes, 25. From cancer, 2 ; tuberculosis, 2; erysipelas and bloodpoisoning, 2. Waipukurau.— Deaths from all causes, 25. From cancer, 2 ; tuberculosis, 3. Dannevirke.— Deaths from all causes, 41. From cancer, 1 ; tuberculosis, 3. This shows a slight total increase in the number of deaths from all causes in Dannevirke, but the town is increasing in population by leaps and bounds, and if it were possible to accurately estimate the augmented population I believe it would be found that the number of deaths is less in proportion to the population ;fand, at any late, we may be certain that there has been no relative increase. Woodville.— Deaths from all causes, 15. From typhoid fever, 1 ; tuberculosis, 1 ; erysipelas and blood-poisoning, 1. The number of deaths from all causes in Woodville is the same as in 1905, and 8 less than in 1904. Gisborne. —Deaths from all causes, 106 ; there were 115 in 1905, and 91 in 1904 : This is satisfactory when we consider the great increase that has taken place in the population in Gisborne and its environs. Deaths from cancer, 2 ; typhoid fever, 2 ; diphtheria, 1 ; erysipelas and blood-poisoning, 2. Wairoa.— Deaths from all causes, 16. From typhoid fever, 1 ; tuberculosis, 2. Sixteen deaths from all causes is a high relation to the population of Wairoa, and the district should be a very healthy one. Outside the larger centres the following are the principal nuisances that have been attended to during the past year : The abatement of a nuisance at Te Aute in connection with a dwellinghouse, and another in connection with the drainage at the hotel; the abatement of some nuisances at Puketapu ; nuisances abated at Taradale ; improvements made in the sanitary condition of the Havelock Hotel; drainage at the hotel at Tikokino has been attended to ; at Norsewood some nuisances have been abated, and improvements in the water-supply of the school effected. During this year, in compliance with orders from the Head Office, I inspected the various dairies supplying milk to the Borough of Napier, reported on them, selected a sample of milk from each, which, in accordance with instructions, I forwarded to the laboratory at Wellington. lam glad to state as the result of my inspection that some of the dairies were exceptionally clean, most were reasonably clean, but in a few there was much to be desired. The reply from the Acting Chief Health Officer, Dr. Valin'tine, was to the effect that the dairies supplying Napier compared favourably with those in larger centres, and the report on the milk that I forwarded generally bore out the matter in my report. I regret to say that there is much to be desired in the manner in which the milk is distributed to the customers, and there is much carelessness in this matter, permitting of the possibility of defilement between the dairies and the houses of the consumers. I have written to the Borough Council on the subject on several occasions, but it seems impossible to interest them in it or to impress on them the need of legislation. When the consumers become alive to the importance of having clean milk, and are determined to have it, and take pains to find out where it can be procured, we may hope to see an improvement in the method of distribution, and dirty dairies will have to go to the limbo of obscurity. Proceedings were instituted by the Hastings Borough Council, at the instigation of the Department, against the owners of a row of business premises in Heretaunga Street —the principal street in

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