THE Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. MONDAY, MARCH 5, 1877.

Inangahua Times, Volume III, Issue 85, 5 March 1877, Page 2

THE Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. MONDAY, MARCH 5, 1877.

A PEiNTEii form has been forwarded by tbe General Government to the Board of Health, Reefton, containing a large number of questions bearing upon the sanitary condition of the town, replies to wbich are to be filled in by the Health Officer of the Board. Similar documents bave no doubt been forwarded to all the other districts of the colony, so lhat it is not to be inferred that tbe matter bas any special reference to Reefton alone, but asshowing tbe great importance which is attached to water supply and drainage, in reference to the public health, it will be seen at once tbat it has a parrelevancy to our condition, Tbe quea» tibns referred to in the order in which they appear are as follows ?—" How ia the district supplied with water? . Wbat ia the quality of the water ? Does the water supply receive in its course any drainage matter or other impurities P Is tbe supply sufficient all tbe year round ? Is tbe quality of the water affected by floods or droughts ? What appliances are there for house and street drainage in the district? How fur are these under the control of the Local Board ? Of wbat material ore the drains made ? Can the contents filter from them into , tbe subsoil ? Do these drains receive solid fapcal matter ? What provision < is there for outfall of drains ? If there is no system of drainage, how is the fecal matter of the district disposed ol ? It will be at once seen that to each and all of the foregoing questions replies must be given of an eminently unsatisfactory character, indicating, aa thoy will not fail to do, that the community is in almost -as* bad a condition as auy community could possibly be as regards: all tbe most vital adjunctn to public health. There is no secret as to the source from which, in summer time at

any rate, the bulk of the water used for domestic purposes is obtained. It is drawn, for the most part, from wells situated in the back yards of the residents, in close contiguity either to their own or tbeir neighbour's cesspools — in the midst of festering masses of surface rubbish of various kinds, and all Ibis in a loose shingly formation through which the liquid filth of the surface percolates as freely as it would through a sieve. In the absence of even the slightest semblance of a drainage system there can be no possible question as to the impurity of well water, and it is really astonishing that some of the leading establishments in the community persevere year after year in using water for domestic purposes which is little short of liquid poison. As so much bas already been said upon the subject of the impurity of the well water of the town, it is not a little surprising that the members of the Local Board of Health have not thought it worth while to have sam* pies of the water analysed, for we feel certain that the result would thoroughly convince all persons of the danger incurred by its use. The Board of Health at Hokitika, we observe, has set energetically to work in the matter of drainage, and have decided upon a course of action which might with very great advantage to the public be followed here, for it is ab- : solutely imperative that something should be dona in the matter. We cannot do better than here introduce the remarks on the subject made by Mr Bevan at the meeting alluded to, and commend tbem strongly to the notice of our own Board. Mr Bevan is reported by the Star to bave said : — " Tbere were some clauses in tbat Act which it was desirable that tbe public should be made aware of, but so long as tbe Acts were bound ap in volumes which the people never saw, tbe desired publicity could not be attained. It was most advisable to warn people of the dangers and penalties they would incur if tbey did not comply with the provisions of the Statute. (Hear, hear ) He moved that a committee be formed, consisting of Messrs Hansen, Paterson, and the mover, to select and give publicity to those clauses wbich dealt with the duties of tbe people in the matter of public health. This would be a step in the right direction, and would be one in which tbe example of other places would be followed. The Mayor seconded tbe motion. The Act was new eyen to the members of the Board, and the necessary publicity should be given to the provisions, Mr Walker supported the motion. This was customary in oth^r places. As the Act was inaccessible to tbe mass of tbe community, the clauses re* ferred to by Mr Bevan should be published Jin the paper, Mr Paterson said this motion was a very valuable one. The public were the interested persons in this matter, and if the public understood its best interests, it would endeavor to obtain and keep health by proper precaution." i