59

H.—3l

C—CANTERBURY AND WESTLAND DISTRICT. General Sanitation of the District. Christchurch. Water-supply. —The riticulation of the high-pressure water-supply has now been completed. There were 6,772 new connections during the year, making a total of 7,616 houses connected with the water-supply. Drainage. —Twenty-five miles of sewers were laid during the year, the total mileage now being 109 miles. There are now 9,502 houses connected, containing 10,183 water-closets. During the year 1,797 houses were connected with the sewer, and 3,032 water-closets were fixed in 2,771 houses. Nearly double the number of water-closets were installed this year as compared with last. Ashburton. The high-pressure water-supply is being proceeded with, and will shortly be completed. Timaru. Good progress is being made with the installation of the septic tank and main sewers in the central and southern portions of the town. Insanitary Buildings. In Christchurch seven buildings were condemned, and three certificates were issued to make repairs. In both Woolston and Timaru there was one building condemned. General Administration and Sanitary Inspection of thk District. Canterbury District. A special report was made on the medical inspection of school-children. Other work has been chiefly of a routine nature, comprising investigation into offensive trades, advising local bodies with reference to improvements in regard to provision of new drainage schemes and the improvement of old ones. Inspector Kershaw has been stationed in Christchurch, and has been acting as inspector for some of the Christchurch suburban local bodies. Inspector Paull, in Timaru, has been mainly occupied with plumbing inspections for the Timaru Borough Council, and has also been acting as Inspector for the Levels County. Inspector McKenzie, in Oamaru, has continued to act as Inspector to the Oamaru and Waimate Borough Councils and the Waimate County Council. Westland. Inspector Middleton, in Greymouth, has been endeavouring to get improvements carried out in the various towns, but so far there is little improvement in the sanitary administration of this district. Southland and Central Otago. I took over the administration of this district, from Dr. Ogston in May, at the same time Dr. Champtaloup was appointed District Health Officer in Dunedin. Most of the routine administration of this district was carried out by Dr. Champtaloup from the Dunedin office, and Inspector Cameron's report for the Southland district has been included in his annual report. Matters that required the personal attention of the District Health Officer and the interviewing of local bodies were carried out by myself. A special report was made on the storage of oysters at the Bluff. As the district was new to me, some time was spent in becoming acquainted with the district. In all the districts a good deal of time was occupied in personally putting before local bodies and Hospital Boards the provisions of section 83 of the Hospital and Charitable Institutions Act, which enables Hospital Boards to assume certain powers of local bodies under the Health Act. The Hospital Boards and most local bodies were favourably impressed with the advantages of the proposed new scheme for carrying out sanitary inspection. Appended are the returns of the Sanitary Inspectors for the sanitary inspection of their respective districts.