BOARD OF HEALTH.

Press, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4640, 15 June 1880, Page 3

BOARD OF HEALTH.

The liocal Board of Health met after the meeting of the Drainage Board, there being present—the Chairman, Mr Hannan, and Messrs Bobs, Hall, Duncan, Blakisten, and Hobbs. ■■..." . Mr Duncan presented » petition from a number of residents in the neighbourhood of Woolflton, complaining of a nuisance emanating from Horiere soap aad candle factory in the Ferry road, ! and praying that the said nuisance might be abated. ; . The petition was recerred. Mr Duncan remarked that the signatures' to the petition were those of influential residents, the head master of the school, Dr lymes, and several old residents of the placer

and he thought some action should be taken to have the nuisance abated. The Chairman pointed out that olauie 76 of the Public Health JAct provided for suoh cases. The Board resolved to authorise the chairman to take action under the clause referred li) — i ■■ Xiettor was read from the town clerk of Chrietohuroh, on behalf of the Oitr Council, acknowledging receipt of a letter dated 29th ulfc., and in reply, sending the following resolution :—" That this Council do relinquish all sanitary matters and works in connection therewith to the Local Board of Health, on and after the 30th of June." The letter went on to say that the Council would hare given up the oonduct of sanitary matters at once, but, to enable the Board to provide for the public health of Ghristchnrch, they had deferred it to the time named in the resolution, whea their control over such matters will absolutely cease. The Chairman read the clause of the Aot defining the powers as to the sanitary control, and pointed out it was optional whether they should take over the work. At present the Board had no machinery to carry out the work. Mr Hobbs could not agree to take over the duties proposed; they had quite enough to do now. Mr Hall thought they should either aocept the position or be prepared to hand over their functions as a Local Board of Health to the Council. Mr Hobbs suggested that there should be a conference of the two bodies. The Chairman said the Council had rejected suoh a proposal made by one of their members. He would point out that the Central Board of Health was the authority they had to follow in the matter. Mr Duncan asked what position would that Board be in if neither body did anything in the matter after the 30th of June. Mr Blakiston apprehended that as they were the Local Board of Health they were responsible. Mr Boss said the position was this: That the City Council had thrown their sanitary garment off, and it was the duty of some other body to assume it, and the Local Board of Health seemed tLe proper body. MrjDuncan thought they would be obliged to take over the sanitary work. He did not think they should go to the Central Board in Wellington in the matter. . So far as he could see moreover, they would not be the losers ; the City Council would rather sustain a loss. The Council, as he understood, got £1440 from the ratepayers beyond what they paid to* Mr Brightling, and after paying their expenses for inspectors' salaries, &c, they had a net profit of £600, which they would lose. For himself he thought the City Council were to blame in the matter. At the same time he should not like to see any steps taken till a conference had been held with the Council, in order if possible to come to some amioable understanding. Mr Boss saw more and more the necessity of having the sanitary control of the whole of the district within the limits of the Drainage Board, the only difficulty being the question of money, in which connection he could not quite agree with Mr Duncan in his economical calculations, inasmuch as the requirements of the district were always increasing. After some further discussion, Mr Duncan moved—"That the Board regrets the decision arrived at by the City Council, having for its object the Board taking upon itself the responsibility of arranging for the entire control of all sanitary matters within the city, but before taking any action request them to arrange a conference for the purpose of coming to some understanding which may be conducive to the beet interests of the city." Seconded by Mr Hall and carried. The City Council forwarded ' oopy of a letter from William Paddy, giving the Counoil notice of his intention to empty the night soil of his premises in the garden, and to proseouteanyone trespassing on his premises after 11 o'clock at night. The Board resolved to take action on the above under olause 47 of the Act, providing maohinery for dealing with persons who obstruct officers in the discharge of their dnfcv. i in ""Tuiapplicafcion from Messrs Lowry to be allowed to establish a tannery at Woolston was granted. Letters were received from Messrs Stevens and Biohardson, members for the city, ac- \ knowledging receipt of resolutions of the Board in to the proposal to obtain legislative authority to delegate its powers 'to Local Boards within the present distriot. , The following report of infectious diseases recorded since May 17th was submitted:— Typhoid, 5; scarlet fever, 1; diphtheria, 4.; total, 10. Accounts amounting to £5210s were passed for payment. The Board then (at 6 30) adjourned.