DIVIDED CONTROL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 58, 3 December 1918, Page 7

DIVIDED CONTROL

public iruAivrft bj^art-ment AKHAIGNED. : •U yesterday's i meeting of the City Council Councillor I. .tf'Kcnzic took •■strong objection to {lie strictures tlmt have been passed on Wellington by tho Minister of Public Heiiltli to, as the speaker said,•. ."ciimoiifliige -liU own .responsibility."- Councillor Ai'Kenzie quoted from reports showing that 'Wellington hud' tlio lowest death-rate on the average of any city in New Zealand, aiul also quoted from the ■ reports of the Public- Health ■■ Departmont to show the state of Wellington and the 'comparative little, that was reriiiired to b« done according to the Health. Department's 'own -inspectors. The. City. ■Council's officers hud no •power to insist on n Jiian keeping his liouso in repair, let ■iiloiiD-keeping his home or himself clean. The difficulties arose through divided control. In the.- ciise of infectious disease the power to act was vested'in the Hospital and Charitable'. Aid Board by Iho Health -Department, but in tho case ,midei- notice hod been witnessed the reinarlidblc'sight of the board, with ■ii sweep of Ihe pen, delegating its powers fo the city authorities. He'did not con<le,nin the board, he condemned the whole policy which involved divided control. He hoped'tlmt the epidemic .would result in'bringing forward legislation " that wd'ukl rectify matters. , ■ Councillor W. H. Bennett protested that the Health Committee of tho council had done all it possibly could to keep (be city in a reasonable state of lieallh. Difficulties often rtro.se in getting repairs to premises executed or in having buildings pulled down altogether. The trouble ■ wns not with the owners,so much ns with agents. Tho very worst agent they had to deal with was a Government ciffieer. In a recent; case he had wished to escane from doing necessary repairs for a sufficient time to enaWc him to foist (he property oil to somo unsuspecting person—a ■imposition that was. wrong and unjust. Tie nienlioiiwl that to shp,w. the difficulties the committee had to contend with.