DRAGGING ON

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 51, 2 March 1937, Page 16

DRAGGING ON

UPPER HUTT SANITARY QUESTION

The question of the Upper Hutt sanitary sitej continues to' drag on. Following i. Complaints ' and indignation meetings'r'about the use .of the site in Whakatiki Street, the council decided on.a new site on'-the Moonshine. Road, but. the grade was too. steep to be worked by horses, and as the council has not a lorry available burial is still being made on the Whakatiki Street site. ■';;.,■■, •■■

. At the^meeting of the council last evening,;1, a, letter was received from Mr.* E. "W. Nicolaus,. oh behalf of the Upper Hutt Borough Ratepayers' and Citizens' Association, taking exception to a published statement by the Mayor (Mr^ A. "J. McCurdy) quoted '. as follows:— "As'.■.-regards, the complaints (sanitary service complaints) the.council .has* no record on the files complaining about the disposal of nightsoil. Every investigation made after verbal complaints showed that the work was being done properly. . . . Up . to the present no person has had/courage enough to sign his name to any document • complaining. At least, the council has never received any." ; Mr. Nicolaus produced arguments in support of hisicontention, that the matter had been brought forward before and complaints made to the council in writing. After quoting a report by Mr. W. Greig, chairman" of the council's public services committee, Mr. Nicolaus's letter stated: "In view of the above report it would seem that it is the council and the Mayor who lack the courage to publish it and it further demonstrates that all the excuses and whitewashing iri the world will not alter the fact that the council as a whole are either obstinate or negligent of the people's health and amenities of life." "■ :'■■' Councillor J. S.. Baskett accused the writer of the above letter of '.'windowdressing" and said the contents were riot- in accordance with fact. He said that the,. Mayor's statements were perfectly true: ' ■ . ■*.-•> : The Mayor made a lengthy statement in deferice of the attitude he has taken up and'said-his statements were correct.' ;. : ■ . ,'■ *

Councillor' F. P.' Keys said that the publicity the borough was getting over the sanitary question was detrimental to it. -:;,,•■ ■ • ; -. ■ ■

.. .It;: was decided .to reply suitably-to Mr. Nicol'aus.- .