UNENVIABLE POSITION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 186, 1 May 1908, Page 4

UNENVIABLE POSITION.

AUCKLAND LEADS IN TYPHOID. DRAINAGE WANTED. (by ti;[,i:grai'l[.—special correspondent.) ' Auckland, April 29. Dr. Purd.v, Health Officer, was recently twitted in .his official capacity with neglecting a complaint as to a defective sewer, whereupon he brought the matter under the notice of the .'local,body concerned. Last night, in the course'of his remarks, ho said: — ' " With' regard to the awakening of our Department to a senso of duty and responsibility by some forceful reminder in the shape of sickness, I sincerely trust, for the sake of Auckland, that wo will have no more forceful reminders to awake our sanitary eonscience than we. have at the present time.. The fact that to-day we have G6 cases of enteric fever in the Auckland Hospital, and that Auckland certainly holds the record for enteric fever in the Dominion, not only for; this year but for all previous years since records should bo sufficient to-allay any romaining opposition there may be to the introduction of a comprehensive drainago soheme." ''

HARBOUR POLLUTION

v BELATED SANITARY SYSTEMS. (nr TELEGKA.ru. —SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) , Auckland, April 29. . A complaint in regard to the manner in which tho city sanitary contract is carried put was: notified to tho Harbour Boaird yesterday in a. letter from the District Health Officer (I)r. I'urdy). It was stated that a resident of the Riverhead district, who . was now suffering from enteric fever, ascribed his infection, to'the fouling of tho foreshore by .the matter deposited there. The , chairman (the Hon. E. Mitchelson) said it seemed;that a great- deal of matter was being thrown overboard. The Board's j dredges, in working in the vicinity of' Freeman's Bay, had 1 lifted a great many good ;pan's,' wliich had ; evidently been dumped overboard. > Tho pans cost a considerable amount, and it was unlikely that;, .what was done was done with tho contractor's knowledge. ; , Mr. W.. J.-Napier said it'Vas" alleged thatthe material was not being . buried as provided for,; but was being-dumped into the harbour. It, was difficult to detect it, but if jt was not stopped the Board 'should prevent the- water' carriage of - the"'material. ' ; Mr. "W: E: Hutchison said . that the. City Council-had now; taken oyer the management, of -the depot, and its employees buried 'the material, cleaned tlio pans/ and returned them to Itho wharf. The number of pans received and dispatched >vas also checked. V, '- Mr. A - J: Entrican said tho City Council was not receiving one-tenth of tho : complaints l that it recoivcd formerly. - 1 diffJron«y Piors Tho H ' oaltll ' offi?dr ! «P? r f» .Mr. Entrican: The; Health 'Officerhas ..'a specially, good noso for {finding : out:' things that exist. In . fact, one'- sometimes' thinks . Mr.-Eileen said-he had been informed that on night at;the end of last:Decem--ber tlio contents of some thirtv;paiis had "been dumped overboard from a scow. The'reason, ho believed, was that the scow;-took a heavy Ist. Ha had also heard of fish offal boiii" thrown overheard. ' ■ \ The ,letter-was referred:' to - tlie Boaul 111 committee. ; . .. ■ : ■ - ,