25

H.—3l

The total cost to the Department of sanitary inspection therefore amounts to £3,220 15s. 9d., viz:— £ s. d. Salaries of twelve Inspectors wholly paid by the Department .. 1,956 10 0 Salaries of seven Inspectors partially paid by the Department .. 960 0 0 2,916 10 0 Less contributions of local bodies' to salaries of latter .. .. 669 2 0 2,247 8 0 To'the above must be added Inspectors' travelling-expenses.. .. 973 17 9 Total cost to the Department of sanitary inspection .. £3,221 5 9 I have long come to the conclusion that an efficient and economical system of sanitary inspection throughout the colony would be best attained by subsidising local authorities —in some instances to the extent of pound for pound—towards the appointment of properly qualified Inspectors. I think such a suggestion would be favourably met by many of the local bodies. If my anticipations prove correct, such a mutual agreement between local bodies and the Department might subsequently become law, and thus do away with the troubles that are bound to crop up if, as in the past, such an agreement is not binding for any length of time. My proposal would only apply to boroughs and those country local bodies with considerable urban population. It would be clearly laid down to any local body receiving the subsidy from the Department that the appointment of an Inspector must meet the approval of the Department, and that such an Inspector's services could not be dispensed with without the mutual concurrence of both parties. On the 13th January I issued a circular to District Health Officers asking their opinion as to how many Inspectors they would require for the efficient inspection of their district on the lines I have above indicated, and, if appointed, where such Inspectors would be stationed. I received replies to this effect:— Inspectors required. Auckland District .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 Wellington District .. .. .. .. .. ~ .. 5 Napier District .. .. .. .. .. .. 2 Nelson District .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 Westland District .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 Blenheim District .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 Canterbury District .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 Otago District .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 25 In addition to the twenty-five Inspectors subsidised, I would suggest that Inspectors Schauer, Middleton, and Kershaw be retained on the permanent staff at headquarters as general supervisors of the work of the twenty-five subsidised Inspectors. The total cost of the proposed scheme would be as follows : — £ Salary of Chief Inspector Schauer .. .. .. .. .. 200 ~ Inspector Middleton .. .. .. .. .. 170 „ „ Kershaw.. .. .. .. ... .. 170 540 ~ twenty-five Inspectors at £160 .. .. .. .. 4,000 Of this amount £2,000 would be contributed by local bodies. Under this scheme the total cost to the Department of Inspectors' salaries would amount to £2,540, or £294 more than the present system, but against that must be put the saving that would be effected by the reduction in the Inspectors' travelling-expenses. Under the proposed scheme Inspectors would not have to work over so large an area ; travelling-expenses would therefore be immediately reduced, and should not amount to more than £25 a year for each Inspector —thus : — Proposed Scheme. £ Salaries .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 2,540 Travelling-expenses—2B Inspectors at £25 per annum .. .. .. 700 £3,240 £20 more than the present system costs. I should like your authority to put this scheme into operation. Plumbees' Registration Bill. On the Ist September a deputation consisting of the Directors of the Wellington and Auckland Technical Schools, and representatives of Wellington, Dunedin, Auckland, and Napier plumbers waited upon me concerning the above Bill. The deputation clearly showed that if the Bill were passed in its present form, it would be liable to militate against that improvement in plumbing which has lately been so noticeable in certain boroughs. Section 3, subsection (a), and section 4 would allow incompetent men to register, and in some measure force the local authorities to employ them, and thus undo the good work that is now being done in those boroughs whose Councils have adopted stringent plumbing by-laws. i 4—H. 31.