"IT MUST COME."

WATER AND DRAINAGE

THE MEDICAL POINT OF VIEW

Addressing the audience at the Town Hall last night on the water and drainage question, Dr. Bennett said that he had a mandate from the medical fraternity in Blenheim to the small man of this town. He did not mean the man who had large frontages in the Square, but the man who was paying a rate of 25s a year. The medical men. had no hesitation in saying that a drainage scheme and a good water-rsupply would he in the best interests of the town. He did not' propose criticising Mr Dobson s scheme, or how it should be earned out, as he Avas not a specialist m this matter. He would like to say with no uncertain voice that as far as water and drainage were concerned the medical men were disinterested in. the matter. In regard to the filthy condition of the town, he was passing the borough workmen the other day when he was called to have a look at a drain they were digging. The aroma from this drain was such that, try as he would, he>. Avas unable to get his tnotor-car to stop oppo'sitc it. (Laughter.) It Avas frightful, and when, he Avent near to have a look it was Avorse, and he said he would not dig that earth for £5 a day. The nuisance AA-as caused by the filth which was deposited here and there in the ground, < which was also the cause of the many cases of diphtheiia, feArer of various kinds, and all manner of other diseases. He ventured to say that these Avould diminish in numbers if they had a ! proper AA-ater and drainage scheme. The medical men of the town cost £1000 to the, public a year, and if i they capitalised this amount they would have £20,000, and all they would have to find Avould be £45,000 for the scheme. (Laughter.) If Avith a proper scheme they found they could do without one medical man, they would toss up to see AA'ho Avas to go. He was not going to give a dissertation on any disease, but he only wanted to ensure the men Avho were paying 255, a. year in rates the same facilities for washing a® the big men had, and which he thought the s?niall .men should have.."/ Every man, the head of a family, should have, facilities in his house for keeping himself and children in a state of healthy cleanliness. It Avas their duty to prevent growing families from such diseases as diphtheriaX It didn't matter two pins whether they carried it out then or in three years' time. He was qufte satisfied that once a proper-system of drainage- was installed the number of infectious diseases would be decreased by onethird. He hoped the _ people jto whom he was appealing in the name of common humanity would not be led to oppose this scheme by those who had lived in filth and who thought they could not afford it, and that they Avould not be blinded by any arguments adduced against it. It would cost the big man far more than it would the small man, and he (Dr Bennett) would have to pay more than he was paying for his present conveniences; but he did not care if it cost him three times as much, he would support it. (Applause.) He asked the small men to think of their Avives and families, and to do their utmost to have the scheme carried, and thus protect the I'ves and health of those for whom they had any regard. (Long and loud applause).