The Press. TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 1900. THE HEALTH OF CHRISTCHURCH.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10638, 24 April 1900, Page 4

The Press. TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 1900. THE HEALTH OF CHRISTCHURCH.

The Christchurch City Council may be congratulated on having at any rate made a start

last night in the matter-of setting their house in order from a sanitary point of view. The Mayor went to the root of the matter in a very practical speech. Our arrangements for the collection of garbage, the method of "disposing" of it fay depositing it in a heajg, there to putrefy and serve as a breeding place for germs, and a happy hunting grotmd for rats, are worthy only of the dark ages, when ptople thought diseases came by witchcraft, and noliness and dirt were inseparably allied together. Our other scavengering arrangements are so indescribably moisome and dangerous, that the city councillors who have tolerated the system so long ought to hang their heads with shame whenever the subject is referred to. His Worship the Mayor agrees with us that the Corporation garbage tip on the road to New Brighton needs immediate attention. Hβ proposes, therefore, that the Council should obtain permission from the Heathcote

Road Board to bam up the heap, lighting several fires for that purpose. We hope that there are no insuperable practical difficulties in the way, and that the proposal will be carried out. The residents in the neighbourhood may find the smoke from tie fire unpleasant for a time, but they will at kast have the satisfaction of knowing that the really dangerous elements of the heep are being destroyed in the most innocuous way. Anything is better than the retention of the huge mass of festering corruption, harbouring an army of rats, which at any time may take it into their teadW to invade the city. We are glad to note also that hfc> Worship the (Mayor adnata that the new depositary of rubbish at Shirley is not satisfactory, and urges that the rubbish must be carefully covered and disinfected until tite destroeior i 8 arranged for. j No resolutions on these points were passed j J««t ttgfc, bet w# feope that &c Sawtary j

Committee will take immediate action, in. regard to them, &n«fc also for provision of the metal bins jaentioned by the Mayor. And w« should say that the sooner the destructor is procured the better. It is simply monstrous tiat immediately the City Cooucil hare been debarred by kw from continuing to deposit the -city garbage on the old Preserve, they should have set to work to create a precisely similar nuisance at Shirky, utterly regardless of the interests, the comfort, or even the safety of the residents in that neighbourkood.

Wβ sincerely hope that (he Council will now take the question of sewage disposal seriously in hand. Three plana were mentioned last wight. One is the completion of the drainage system and compulsory connection with the sewer. T&e Sanitary Committee recommended J tie provision of sealed pans and the conveyance of the refuse by rail to the Council's, reserve. As an alternative they suggested the use of the Drainage Board's sewers, and that the Board be interviewed on the subject. The former recommendation was postponed; the latter was carried. We shall defer our criticism of this scheme until we know more about it. There mast be no repetition, however, of the Sydenham bungle. If the city's sewage is to be emptied into the sewers, it must be only after the adoption of the sealed pan system, and in such a way as to cause no serious annoyance to any section of the citizens. Finally, we are glad to see that the Council have resolved to appoint, at any rate temporarily, a medical officer of health and a special- inspector, to make a house-to-house inspection. This we look upon as one of the most important and most necessary precautions. A general clearing up of the city will do good, whether the plague comes here or not, and the citizens should co-operate heartily with the authorities in this matter.