RIVER-BED HUTS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLIV, Issue 9875, 24 July 1923, Page 5

RIVER-BED HUTS

CONDITION DISCUSSED.

QUESTION OF INSPECTION. There w.as a .brief discussion at .the Borough Council’s meeting last night concerning the river-bed dwellers and the Coroner’s remarks anent ' them made during the recent inquest on .a man who had hanged himself. When the Borough Inspector’s report had bean read to the effect that he had inspected the huts and found them all right, the Mayor referred to the suicide, saying that if the places could not be kept in proper order they should be done away with. There always came a time when those old men were unable to look after themselves. He would like the inspections to be more than cursory ones. The men had one time promised to look after one another and do anything required for those unable to assist themselves. They did not appear to have carried that out. The remarks that fell from the Coroner would lead one to believe that the hut under question the other day was not in good order. They would i have to get the inspector to state whether the men were keeping the huts as "clean as possible; if the men were not doing so they would have to go into the Home. They would have to be firm with them, especially in the winter time. . . Mr F. Z. D. Ferriman explained that the old man who committed suicide lived in a whare which was on wheels, and was not really on the river-bed. He had been a naturally clean man, and had been cared for by friends in the town. ~ , . Mr W. H Woods said the remarks of the Coroner really conveyed nothing. They did not quite give the impression that the hut was not in bad order, and tlie Coroner was careful not to charge anyone with the duty of looking after the old men. The remarks did not seem to reflect in any way on the council, and he gave no lead as to what should be done to remedy the position. As far as the old man under particular discussion was concerned, it would not have made any difference how vigilant the council or any other body had been. It was evident that at about 1 o clock he contemplated suicide, and at 3 o’clock he was carried away m a coffin. If the Coroner meant that the council or anj r other local body should take upon "itself the responsibility of observing the men so closely that they could not do away with themselves, then he (the speaker) failed to see how it could be accomplished. People outside the river-bed took their own lives, even more so than those inside the river-bed. The Coroner could not possibly lay the blame on the local bodies. Mr John Watson said the inspector’s reports should give more detail concerning the huts. Mr J. W. Bowden said the inspector reported everything was in order. He would be equally as quick in reporting tilings out of order if the conditions warranted him doing so. The discussion then dropped, the Mayor stating that in future they would have their inspector make very keen inspections of the huts.