DEVONPORT'S DEFICIENCIES.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 51, 1 March 1909, Page 8

DEVONPORT'S DEFICIENCIES.

WANTED—A MORGUE. COMMENTS BY THE CORONER. At the conclusion of the inquest held on the body of James Butler at Dcvonport yesterday afternoon, the Coroner (Mr. X. Gresham; said he wished to make some remarks upon the fact that there was no mortuary in the borough. For that reason he was glad to see the Devonport Borough Council represented upon the jury in the persons of Mr. W. U. Timewell, one of the councillors, and Mr. J. C. Webster, the borough clerk. He was also glad, that the Press was represented, so that publicity might I>e given to what he had to say.

They had that day, Mr. Gresham went on to say, viewed and deliberated upon a body ia.a.private house, for the reason "ttint there was no pnbTlc mortuary in Devonport. Nothing "had yet been done to erect a mortuary, section -11 of the Public Health Ac-a, 1000, provided as follows: —" A local authority may, and shall. if the Chief Health Officer so recommend?, from time to time provide, equip and maintain in or "for its district morgues for the reception of the dead prior to burial, where a coroner's inquest or post mortem elimination is contemplated or iiijy Ik- required," and section c> of the Amending Act. of 1904, provided that:

'" It shall be incumbent upon the local authority of every borough to provide a suitable building for the purposes of a public morgue, and if any such local authority shall fail so to Jo,, then any ten ratepayers of such borough may apply to the Supreme Court for a mandamus to compel such local authority to comply with this provision, and shall be entitled to recover from such local authority all <?csts in and about the obtainiuent of such mandamus." He was aware that in Devonport difficulties existed

Mr. Webster: That is the truth of the case. Mr. Grpsham: The fart remains, whether there has been obstruction or otherwise, that there is no plae-* in l)e----vonport where bodies c?.-i be deposited pending- an inquest. The present position is that bodies in n more or less de composed state are conveyed to Auckland and placed in the morgue th:'re, and that method of procedure is, as I need scarcely point out to yon. jrentlemen. contrary to all the principle.? of hygiene, Mr. Webster: Plans hn-v i „ drawn up for n morgue and are in the possession of the Council. Mr. Ore?ham: I know that. Mr. Timewell; The position is this. The Chief Health Officer has not so far recommended, in the terms of the Act quoted by you, that a morgue should ba erected here, but he has recommended so for t!;e r-ity of Auckland: the Devonport Borough Council has received a letter from Auckland City Council, asking the noronsrh to subscribe towards the cost of it. People objr-rt to having a morsrue established near their residences, and make strong protests whenever the proposal to ererr on? is mooted. The Council have received petitions as long as this table on the subject. That creates a difficulty ivith rrspci-t to the site. Ther is really only one possible site —on the Harbour Board reserve?, and to that site there is only one objector, but he is a very strong man in Devonport.

Mr. (Jreshnni: There is really no valid objection that can tv sustained against n m crime being erected, for everything in -onr.rc'. ion with it i.* perfectly hyjrienif

Mr. Tirnevj-pll: Quite =o. but you have got to make people umlerstarul that.

Mr. fJresham: Yes, tli.it is so. Well. 1 hope th.ir the Devonport Borough Council will surmount the difficulties surrounding the matter, and that a proper mortuary will shortly be erected.