SANITARY MATTERS

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 12 February 1921, Page 6

SANITARY MATTERS

REMOVAL OF RUBBISH

REPORT BY MR F. GIVEN. Mr Given presented a brief verbal report to the Borough Council last evening on the recent conference of sanitary inspectors held in Wellington and on other matters affecting the welfare of Hawera. He stated that as the secretary of the conference was preparing an extensive report covering the whole of the work done he would be very brief. There were- about 50 inspectors present, representing districts from Auckland to the Bluff. Mr! Given first referred to the advisability of striking a special rate for the systematic removal of rubbish, and the need for obtaining a lease of the gullyused at present $as a tip and placing it under proper supervision; This was the only large town which he knew of that did not have a proper sytsem. Residents of Hawera had the right to have rubbish removed for 15s a year, but this did not result satisfactorily. The payment, of the fee and the removal of rubbish should be compulsory >-« With regard to the new Health Actj Mr Given did hot think they should'delegate their powers to departmental officials, which would mean, the payment of £50 a year for work they could very 1 well do themselves. Even if there should be an epidemic they could, by organisation, cope with the trouble. Mr Butcher had given a very valuable address to the: conference on the storage of .dangerous, goods, and a copy of the regulations would be forwarded . to. the Council. Another matter dealt with was the distribution of milk, land the view was^ put forth that milk supply should be under the control of local bodies. One point made was that all vessels left outside by householders over night for the reception of milk should be of glass. Cesspits such as they had in Nolantown were discussed. With such porous soils as they had at Nolantown no harm j?ould be done, but all wells in such areas should be condemned. Another thing the conference favoured was the building of homes under such supervision that there would not be unnecessary delay in completing 'them. Mr Given als/> referred to the leading article on the by-laws which appeared in the Star as uncalled for.

The Mayor said they all recognised the value of the conference. With regard to the leading article in the Star, he understood the Star was simply trying to assist the officers in carrying out their duties, and he courted that kind of thing. With' regard to tKe removal of house rubbish, this had been before the Council for a long time, and the only thing that had prevented' them from taking action was the absence of a suitable tip.-' If, as. the inspector stated, there was.enough room at the present tip for the next 20 years, there Was no reason why the incoming Council should not go right on with the scheme. He was quite willing to save the £50 which, the-ad-ministration of the Health Act would' cost if passed over to the Department' if the work could be done by their own officers.. In regard to the milk supply they had a special committee which had this matter in hand, and this committee would take action- if necessary. With regard to the delay in constructing homes they had seen what was taking place in Hawera. What was wanted was better control, so that work would be pushed on to a conclusion. He undet"stood that there was to be an improvement in this connection. Cr Hayton regarded the report in reference to the rubbish tip as particularly gratifying. Cr Cameron considered that •by economical use the tip would last for <Q years. ~Cr Morrissey wanted to know how, if garbage of all kinds went to the tip, they would avoid the multiplication of vermin. • ■ Mr' Given pointed out that if vermin were to be bred, and they would be 'bred by burying rubbish in a back yard, let it be in one place only, ylhere weye means for. destroying rats it they knew where they were. Cr Reid was7 not so e:iamoured__not with the scheme, but the position He pointed out that this site had' not been open to them, y There were some objections to the site. Firstly, it was rather close to the cemetery, and secondly there was an intention to enlarge itne cemetery. The Mayor moved that "an application be made to,the Commissioner of Crown Lands for the site. in--*oll' "i Ending, said he was veiy favourable _to the scheme, and suggested that it. be a recommendation to the new Council to take it in hand. tw f? 6in mo*ed ' ? s amendment, that the Counoil look round for a better site. Cr Morrissey seconded. wifiT 4? ayt°? 6aid they could go on S h£- c m*l**l*- at the present site, and this would not prevent them lookl mg around for a better site oi. n m? r2 n did not think they should be. influenced by the possibilitJ of extensions to the cemetery. If this became necessary they could co else where. The space for rubbish «S3d be,co^?ei-ved by crushing, the ™nf. wd this would take awly cover for ,i,CriA ewis could not see why there Ihe Mayor said the weakness about he amendment was that it meant taihoa They had-been discussing ?he matter now for about four years He understood they present lessee would bave no objection to the dumping of c SS rth^ site; * fact- he ™«$ ie able to make some use of it J_fie amendment, was lost and the notion was carried.