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unfair to the public hospital, and I think something will have to be done in the way of compelling a suitable room to be provided for such a case, with accommodation for a nurse, so that no communication whatever need to be held with tho main body of the nursing-home. As soon as there was the slightest suspicion of something wrong the patient could be isolated with her nurse, and the safety of the patients guarded. A rise of temperature in a patient on the third or fourth day and lasting over twenty-four hours should be reported to the Medical Officer of Health personally by the medical man, as it would enable the Medical Officer of Health, to take such precautions at once as seemed to him necessary. From conversations I have had with medical men I find that much less examining is done now than formerly, and it seems as if the very old saying that " meddlesome midwifery is bad " is rather coming into force again, but not quite as it was formerly meant. A great number of cases admitted to nursing-homes come from the country districts, where the patient has had heaps of room to roam about in the fresh air and. thus take a moderate amount of exercise. At times they come into the, house and sit about for a week or two before their time arrives. This, I consider, does not improve their general health and powers of resistance. Amongst the working-classes, if I may use the expression, it is quite a common thing for a mother to continue her daily occupation right up to the time of confinement. She has no facilities at home to take rest, and probably no one to look after the other members of her family whilst her husband, is away at work. If arrangements could be made either for a district nurse, or what could be called " home helpers " employed, much worry would be saved, tho mother, who would go to her hospital with her mind easy that her children would be cared for and looked after. This work would very well come under the heading of child-welfare work, and would be of the greatest service to many poor homes. There is no doubt that many women go into nursing-homes more or less in fear and trembling from reports that they see in the papers about puerperal fever. When, in addition to this, there is worry as to who will look after the children, the mother is not in the best condition to battle with her trouble. Up to the present I have not said much about the condition of nursing-homes. During the year I have visited and inspected them in all parts of the district. As a rule they are well kept, and comply with our sanitary requirements. The chief trouble is in small, places where there are no public sewers, and sewerage lias to be got rid of either by a septic tank or pan privy and broadcasting of the liquids. It is a question whether a license should be granted for more than two patients where no sewers exist. Personally, I am of opinion that two should be the limit. Then, again, there is the question of one patient in a house run by an unqualified woman, who always declares that she never takes a case without a doctor. Some medical men seem to favour these houses, and on more than one occasion when I have visited them I have been told that Dr. So-and-so sent the second patient in knowing that there was already one in the house, and that he would make it right. This may be all very well, but we do not hear of these cases unless something goes wrong. I think the medical profession ought to set their faces against these unlicensed women, and give their aid to the Health Department and assist in making nursing-homes as safe as possible for patients. It will be said at once that St. Helens Hospital is always open for these cases, and the medical man's reply at once is, " Oh, if our patient goes to St. Helens we lose our fees." I have been told this numberless times, and one has not any argument to meet it. Perhaps in the near future it may be possible to do away with this system and enable medical practitioners to attend their regular patients. At any rate it would be a great forward step to abolish the one-case-a-month homes. The argument that it is cheaper than an ordinary nursing-home is not always correct, as in many of the places there is very little difference in the fees. As stated, there has been a decline in the cases notified, but I would like to see cases notified much earlier, and also to have the medical men get into touch with the Health Office more promptly. Sewers. In parts of the district good progress has been made in the construction of new sewers. Castlecliff especially has continued the work. In Wanganui there was a decided deadlock in connection with this work. Money had been borrowed to sewer certain streets, but, on account of rise of prices, the work was unfinished. This led to much trouble, as isolated houses which had been built on the understanding that the sewers were to be put in were left without facilities they expected. When asked about completing this work there was no money. I have added here the report that was presented to the Board of Health on the 21st November, 1923, when they were asked to make an order on the borough to complete these sewers. I may add that the Board made this order, and some of the work is now in hand. The other large town in the district that wants much done in the sewering-lino is New Plymouth. The present system was intended for a much smaller population than exists at present, and the whole of the present system wants rearranging, as the increased population has resulted in both the sewers being overcharged and the septic tank overworked. The remarks made about New Plymouth apply in a lessor respect to Marton Borough, where the Junction section has been added to the borough. Disposal of Rubbish. The rubbish tips and dumps have been kept under notice, and have kept in fairly good condition in all parts of the district. In Wanganui the new refuse-destructor will probably be started within the next few weeks, thereby doing away with the present tip. Water-supply. Works of this nature have been pushed on during the past year.