THE HOSPITALS ACT AND PUBLIC HEALTH ACT,

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LX, Issue LX, 29 December 1910, Page 5

THE HOSPITALS ACT AND PUBLIC HEALTH ACT,

CONFERENCE OF LOCAL BODIES. A meeting, convened by Dr Valmtine, -Chief Health Officer, of delegates from the Hawera and Stratford flos> pital Boards and surrounding local bodies, for the purpose of coming to some arrangement in the administration of the recently enacted Hospitals Act and Public Health Act, was held lin Eltham yesterday. The delegates present were : Messrs Barton (Hawera Borough Council), Nolan, G. W. Tayler, J. Marx, J. Phillips and Parrington (Hawera Hospital Board), W. Duirs and Goodland £Hawera County Council), C. Da vies (Normanby Town Board), E. Parrott (Eltham Borough Council), T. A. Bridge (Waimate County Council), J. Masters (Stratford Borough Council), R. H. Cameron, D. Maxwell, S. M. Porritt, S. Ward, T. Kennedy and T. H. Perm (Stratford Hospital Board), G. A. Marchant (Stratford County Council), B. Dive, M.P., F. B. Gardner (District Health Officer), and Dr Valintine (Chief Health Officer^. Mr Cameron (Chairman Stratford Hospital Board) was voted to the chair, and briefly stated the object of' the meeting. He would ask Dr Valintine to explain fully the object of the meeting. Dr Valintine, after apologising for trespassing on the time of the delegates at this season of the year, said he tried as far as possible to meet local bodies throughout the Dominion as he had met them there that day, so as to consider the best arrangement for the carrying out of the Public Health Act and Hospitals Act. Section 83 of the Hospitals Act provided that local authorities could waive certain authority they had under the Public Health Act to, the Hospital Boards. He thought that the authority that was responsible for the care of the sick i should also be made the proper authority for the administration of matters appertaining to public health. By the Hospitals Act of last session this was made easier, and < also because of the J fact that the Public Health Department and the Hospital Department are now practically one department. Formerly there had been a good deal of overlapping. It was now much simpler by the clause in this Act which provided that the Hospital Boards were. the proper authorities for the control of infectious diseases, poor law administration, sanitary inspection and hospitals. He believed the prof>osal would be much more efficient and ess expensive whether it were a large borough or a small local authority.. Some of the smaller local authorities had not the machinery to carry out the provisions of the Act, and they had now an opportunity of putting matters on a much more efficient basis than they had been. This could be done by the borough councils, county councils, and road boards within certain hospital districts waiving their authority under the Public' Health Act to the Hospital Board. If this were done an officer could be appointed by the Hospital Board. In addition to the duties of Health Inspector this orficer could act in other capacities; for instance, he could be an inspector under the Food and Drugs Act and collect samples for analysis, etc. In most places it would be best that this officer's headquarters should be at the Hospital Board's office, but in the present instance— that is to say, if his suggestion that the hospital districts of Stratford and Hawera combine for the purpose of public health— he would suggest Eltham, from a strategical point of view, as the headquarters of the inspector. He had also to point out that all levies upon local authorities for purposes of administration under the Act were subsidised £ for £ by the Department. • ' Mr Barton said that one or two points had occurred to him which Dr Valintine had not made sufficiently clear. As representing the Hawera Borough Council he wanted' to know what authority they were asked to waive. The circular issued by Dr Valintine was a different thing from the statement he now. made. In that circular mention was made of the transfer of authority as to the control of morgues, mortuaries, .sanitary, inspection, etc. Now Dr Valintine mentioned sanitary inspection only. It seemed to him (Mr Barton) from the doctor's remarks, that the whole of the public health work and the hospital work was to be vested in one authority. But they were also asked to hand over certain other powers., such as powers of rating and powers of borrowing. • Dr Valintine: No, no, sir. Mr Barton: Pardon me. Section 83 provided that. This clause gave the Orovernqr-m-Council power- to do certain things, and they wished to know what these things were. The Department asked them to waive the power of inspection only, but they did not know what the Governor-'n-Council may ask them to do. It seemed to him that the hospital authorities, under this section, had power to rate for the purpose of erecting destructors, morgues, sewage — suchpowers as are given to the local body He looked upon this as a very serious matter — the surren- i denng of those powers. If once they were handed over they would never get them back. Dr Valintine said if the borough of Hawera did not see its way to waive its authority it was standing in its own light. Mr Barton said he was there for information. He wished to know how much of their authority they were asked to waive. Dr Valintine had now asked them to waive the authority of inspection, but the resolution of the circular mentioned scavening, cleaning, mortuaries and morgues. How could these matters be dealt with without the power to put up a destructor^ and he said .section 83 gave that power. Dr. Valintine suggested that they should waive the power of sanitary inspection, inspection , under the Sale of Food and Drugs Act, and offensive trades. The control of nuisances and insanitary buildings could remain under the authority of the boroughs. Mr Barton: If it is inspection only, tn^n you have that power already. We "ar© invited to emasculate our authority and foot the bill. Mr Masters (Stratford) thought it was a matter of impossibility for an inspector to do what was proposed, namely, to look after the hospital districts of Stratford and Hawera. For efficient inspection, an inspector would have to inspect each town every three or four days. Mr Parrott (Eltham) was of the saipe opinion as the last speaker. It was a matter of impossibrity for Mr Gardner to give proper inspection to three or four towns. His borough had passed a resolution some time ago agreeing to the proposal, but he had no idea of the position as Mr Barton had stated it. Mr Marx (Hawera Hospital Board) said the Hospital Board could only do certain things with regard to infectious diseases, and he .would counsel uniform action. The multiplicity of local bodies was not desirable. A borough would do a certain thing for itself, and a county district might take a different course of action. • Dr. Valentine" suggested to agree to leave the borough out of it except as regards infectious diseases.

Mr G. W .Taylor asked if, in the even* of all the local bodies agreeing to the proposal tkey would lose the services oil an inspector. Dr. Valentine: No. Mr Goodland (Hawera County Council) said his Council some time ago ha!d agreed to the proposal, but he now saw that it was^ done under a misapprehension. The district health officer had told his Council that Patea County Council was included in the district. He now asked, seeing that the district was proposed to be altered, whether that reso-' lution was binding. Dr. Valentine: Certainly not." Dr. Valentine, in answer to Mr Goodland, said that the difference the N Hawera County Council wou'd have to pay between the proposed new district and the previous proposal would be £11. Mr Goodland : £11 is a big consideration to a local body witn an overdraft. Mr Nolan (Hawera) thought that there had been to much law and not enough commonsense m the discussion. He, as a layman, looked at the question from a commonsense standpoint, and from that standpoint the whole question was one of dealing with infectious \ diseases. Mr Marchant (Stratford County Council) thought that proportional adjustment of taxation would have to be made as between thi> boroughs and county districts. As infectious diseases occur more frequently in the Boroughs than in the country, the rate would have to be heavier in the boroughs. If it were made on a rateable value basis it would be unfair to the county. He thought the rate should, be on a population and rateable value basis. If this were done he could see.no objection to the proposal. The question of transfer of certain powers was one of baigaln or arrangement. If the bargain were made then the Order-m-Council would carry it out. The broad lines of the proposal were right. Mr Marx moved "That it be a recommendation from this conference to the' Hawera and Stratford Hospital Boards to combine for the purpose of the appointment of an inspector under the Public Health Act, and that Eltham be the headquarters of the inspector." Mr Cameron seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. Mr Barton proposed, a vote of thanks to Dr, Valentine, which was carried by acclamation. In acknowledging the compliment the doctor said that in this country they had a first-class hospital Act, and one whichwould tend to greater economy and efficiency. If the provisions of the Act were taken full advantage of, he, as chief health officer, would only have to deal with 36 local authorities instead of 385 as at present. In carrying out the Acts he relied on the sympathy and cooperation of the local bodies, and he was sure of that. The proceedings, terminated by a vote °I « « ,*° the chair «ian, on the motion of Mr G. W. Tayler.