H.—3l

The sanitary conditions of the various boroughs and Town Boards have also been affected by the institution of clean-up weeks at the instigation of the Department. The trapping and poisoning of rats, particularly in Auckland City and the large boroughs,- have been steadily carried on, and a certain amount of mosquito-control work by kerosene-spraying was also effected. The periodical inspection of the hotels and of food-sellers' premises, and the condemnation of insanitary buildings and supervision of offensive trades, also received attention. Some of the more important sanitary improvements in the principal centres of population are detailed below : — Central Auckland Health District. —Auckland City and suburbs : Constant supervision exercised over all refuse-dumps, insanitary premises, &c. Considerable sanitary improvements effected at Racing Club booths at Ellerslie and Epsom. The matter of drainage from, offensive trade premises at Westfield received considerable attention during the year, as also the proposed combined drainage scheme for Ellerslie, Onehunga, and Mount Roskill. Papakura urgently requires a sewerage system, but ratepayers turned down loan proposal for same during the year. Scheme is to be modified'and put forward again. A good number of the suburban local bodies have now appointed their own sanitary inspectors, and departmental work in these districts is largely of a supervisory nature. South Auckland Health District. —Huntly : New hospital erected, with accommodation for accident and maternity cases and general nursing, costing approximately £14,000. Hamilton : Steady progress made with sewerage installation. Taumarunui: New hospital opened during the year, and old maternity hospital removed to a new site. Nightsoil and rubbish disposal systems fairly satisfactory. Te Aroha and Morrinsville : Steady progress made with sewerage reticulation works. Inspection of plumbing-work in these boroughs is carried out by the departmental Inspector. Matamata : Sewerage scheme adopted and put into operation during the year. Refuse collection and disposal service has also been inaugurated. Putaruru : Nightsoil and rubbish depots approved, and Town Board recently formed shows promise of effecting sanitary improvements. Rotorua : New sewerage system under process of installation by the Public Works Department. Considerable difficulty experienced owing to hot sulphur springs adjacent to sewage-tank and pumping-station. The Maori villages of Ohinemutu and Whakarewarewa are in fair sanitary condition, and especially is this true of Ohinemutu, which has a live Maori Council. Water-supplies. A great deal of work has been done in connection with the supervision of the various watersupplies of the local authorities in the two districts. A total of 186 bacteriological and 22 chemical examinations were made. Improvements to supplies were effected in many instances —prevention of contamination of catchment areas, chlorination and filtration schemes, &c. Some of the more outstanding improvements were — Pukekohe : Purchase of land under Public Works Act surrounding Hickey's springs, from which the borough supply is drawn. Waiuku : Reticulation scheme inaugurated. No filtration or chlorination needed. Papakura : Installation of filtration plant (Candy de Chlor filters) commenced. Ngaruawahia : Chlorination plant installed for borough supply. Supply for mobilization base, also drawn from Waikato River,. subjected to chlorination and filtration and put through settlingtank. Te Kuiti: £23,000 loan for new water scheme vetoed by the ratepayers, and instead a satisfactory chlorination plant will be installed in connection with the present water-supply. Taumarunui: Candy de Chlor filters not working satisfactorily —supplies chlorinated. Huntly : It is proposed to supply new hospital from Waikato River, subjecting supply to chlorination and filtration. Scheme not definitely decided upon. The following is a list of examinations made of the various water-supplies : — Bacteriological Examinations. —Central Auckland Health District: Auckland City mains, 3 ; Nihotapu, 12 ; Waitakere, 4 ; Western Springs, 2 ; Onehunga, 12 ; Otahuhu, 12 ; One Tree Hill, 6 ; Howick Orphanage, 2 ; Mount Wellington, 3; Papakura, 30 ; Pukekohe, 27 ; Waiuku, 3. South Auckland Health District: Hamilton, 17 ; Te Kuiti, 6 ; Taumarunui, 14 ; Ngaruawahia Borough, 8 ; Ngaruawahia mobilization base, 3; Te Kuiti, 10; Cambridge, 13; Huntly, 1; Rotorua, 15 ; Te Awamutu, 6 ; Te Aroha, 2 ; Morrinsville, 2. Chemical Examinations. —Central Auckland Health District: Western Springs (city supply), 1 ; Howick Orphanage, 2; Mount Wellington, 3; Waiuku, 3. South Auckland Health District: Huntly, 1 ; Te Aroha, 1 ; Morrinsville, 1 ; Taumarunui, 3; Cambridge, 2 ; Lake Taupo, 4; Ngaruawahia mobilization base, 1. Food and Drugs Work. A great deal of improvement has been effected in regard to the sale of foodstuffs, especially in regard to food-sellers' premises, in which matter the new departmental regulations gazetted during the year have greatly assisted. I attach hereto summaries showing particulars of inspections made, and of samples weighed and obtained for analysis, during the year under review. In addition a very considerable amount of work has been put in in the correction of labelling, and also in regard to the bacteriological examination of milk-samples —2,347 from various Auckland City suppliers were examined by the Government Bacteriologist. Most of these samples were also examined for tubercle bacilli, and four gave positive results through inoculation of guinea-pigs. The Department of

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