64

H.—Bl

The water-supply is obtained from the Shag River by pumping up to a reservoir high above the town. Nightsoil service has been undertaken by the municipality, a contractor taking the contents of the privies monthly or fortnightly to a well-fenced paddock about a mile from the town and remote from habitations, where it is buried. ■ House-drainage (slops) still in some instances goes into the street gutters, for want of sewers, but these are kept in good order. Butchers', bakers', and provision shops have been frequently looked to and found in pretty good condition, while stables, &c, have received attention. Piggeries are not allowed within the borough. Queenstown. Some three hundred buildings were inspected, and found in good order, only some twenty-two defects having been noted. The sewers, of which there are few in the town, receive only house-slops, and terminate in the lake. , . The water-supply comes from a creek running down a rocky gorge, and received into a subsidence reservoir. It is generally of first-rate quality, but subject to slight pollution with decaying vegetable matters, which, however, do not materially affect it for domestic or personal use. It is carried through the town in pipes to the houses. Nightsoil service is by contract, under control of the municipality, the house-pans being emptied once a'month, the hotels and boardinghouses twice a month. The nightsoil is buried in a paddock well outside the town, remote from habitations. House-drainage (slops) mostly runs into the street gutters, but these are frequently cleaned and flushed. Butchers', bakers', fish, and provision shops are well kept, and the milk-supphes are very clean. The single bakery had to be reconstructed during the year on account of age, and is now in better condition. , . . . Stables, &c, are kept in very good order, and no piggeries are permitted within the town limits. Tapanui. About 140 houses were inspected, and found mostly in good condition. The sewage and slops of the town are carried in open gutters or natural creeks, but as the watersupply is abundant this does not cause much nuisance unless these are neglected and overgrown. But the place requires a properly carried-out drainage scheme, which has been in contemplation- for some The water-supply is excellent, if at times peaty, and is obtained from a creek in the Blue Mountains. This is received into a reservoir and it then runs by gravitation into the town in abundance. The nightsoil service is under the control of the municipality ; but kerosene-tins prevail in many cases. , . . Butchers', bakers', and provision shops generally, at the time of my Inspector s visit, were not satisfactory and required cleaning up in some instances, though on the whole they were well kept. House-drainage (slops) is carried off by street gutters and creeks, which require frequent flushing. No pigs are allowed to be kept within the borough. Arrowtown. This town contains about 130 dwellings which were inspected, and were generally found to be in good order, only a few defects having been noted. A sewer runs along the main street, receiving slops from the houses. Apart, from this, the houses, which are widely scattered, run their slops generally into their gardens. The water-supply —an excellent one —is derived from a hill behind the town, and runs into a reservoir, whence it is conveyed in abundance throughout the streets. These are frequently watered and beautifully kept, being lined with well-grown trees. The nightsoil service is under municipal control, and is well conducted, the depot being about a mile from the town and quite away from all habitations. House-drainage may be said to be satisfactory on the whole. Butchers', bakers', and provision shops are now pretty satisfactory, but require looking after, as we have found on more than one occasion that manure is allowed to accumulate about the stables which most of them have in their back premises. The stables in the town also require frequent supervision. Hotels : As this is a place to which tourists resort, it would be highly desirable that these should be of a better class, as they are of the class which served the town when it was a goldfields town, and they are now old and out of date. Cromwell. This town contains about 190 buildings, which were inspected. They were found to be generally in good condition, with a few exceptions. The chief among these were those in the Chinese quarter, where the houses were mud and loose-stone hovels, very small in size, partly underground, and without light or ventilation. These were ordered to be disused. There are no sewers, the house-slops being discharged into the street channels, in which water is continually running, flushing them.