PUBLIC HEALTH ACT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 71, 24 March 1910, Page 4

PUBLIC HEALTH ACT.

LOCAL BODIES' POWEES. PROPOSED BOARD OF HEALTH. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELUDsGTOK, this day. Speaking at the ceremony of laying a tablet in connection with Wellington's new-fever hospital, the Hon. G. Fowlds, Minister for Hospitals, said: "This question of dealing with infectious diseases calls to my mind a section in the new Act which r trust will be duly taken advantage of by the local authorities, and that they will delegate their poWers under the Health Act to the Hospital Board of the district, so that the latter "body may assume the powers of a. board jof health. One naturally could not expect a laTge municipality such as the Wellington Corporation to delegate all its powers under the Public Health Act, but it might, with great advantage-as regards efficiency and economy, leave the responsibility, as to notification and isolation of and disinfection after cases of infectious disease to the Hospital Board. The smaller local bodies might waive nearly all their powers under the Act to the board except those tnat would invoive considerable expenditure, such as provision for water supply and drainage." Mr. Fowlds said that, as the Act allowed a board to appoint committees composed of persons of both sexes, who were not necessarily members of the j board, he wonld like to see a public health committee formed comprised o£ certain members of the Board, with every Mayor or chairman of a local authority in the district an ex-ouicio member of that committee. By that means concerted action could be taken as regards the public health of the district, which was by no means the case under the present system-