FOOD INSPECTION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXV, Issue 9426, 29 May 1891, Page 6

FOOD INSPECTION.

CONFERENCE OP LOCAL BODIES. The adjourned conference of represents-' tives of the local bodies in the Christchurch Drainage District, in regard to the inspection of perishable provisions, took place at tha City Council Offices yesterday evening; present—-The Mayor of Christchurch (in tho chair), the Mayor of Sydenham, Councillors Moor and Meares (St Albans), Councillor Gapes (Christchurch), Messrs R. Weateara and T. York (Selwyn County Council), H. J. Hall (Riccartoa Road Board), J. Patterson and O. Burgess (Avon Road Board), T. Hardie (Linwood Town Board), and - Hadecke (Spreydon Road Board.) Apologies were made for the absence of Councillor White (Sydenham), Mr Bergh (Linwood), and Messrs M'Diannid and Richardson (Woolston). Tha report presented by the Committee at the lost meeting of tho conference, and published last weak, was considered clause by clause. Clauses 1 to 4 were adopted. In relation to Clause S, stating that the Selwyn County Council was disposed to act as a local Board of Health, Mr Hall proposed as an amendment—“ That this Committee recommend that the Selwyn County Council act as a local Board of Health for the districts included in the Christchurch Drainage District, under tha provisions of Section 297 of ‘The Counties Act, 1886/ subject to amendments being made thereto, limiting tho Council’s jurisdiction thereunder to the control of dairies, the sale of perishable provisions, and to such other subjects as the local Boards of Health may have power and agree to place under its control.” Councillor Moor seconded the amendment, which was negatived by six votes to five, and the clause was adopted. The following recommendations of the Committee were agreed to: —No. I—-That the proviso to Section 14 of “ Tho Public Health Act, 1876,” constituting the Christchurch Drainage Board a local Board of Health, Section 4 of “ The Public Health Act, 1876, Amendment Act, 1877,” and “The Public Health Act, 1876, Amendment Act, 1880,” should be repealed. That legislation be introduced (No. 2) to enable local Boards of Health to make by-laws to regulate the sale of perishable provisions, the licensing of dairies and slaughterhouses, and to take steps to prevent the spread of infectious disease through unsound perishable provisions. Nos. 3 and 4, providing that local bodies may delegate their powers as local Boards of Health to any County, City or Borough Council, and that when threefifths of the local bodies iu a continuous area agreed to so delegate their powers, all other local bodies in such area should cease to have any power as local Boards of Health. No. 5, that any County or Borough exercising such delegated powers may make by-laws for carrying them out. Recommendation No. 6 was, on the motion of Mr Hall, amended so as to suggest that legislation be obtained to provide that the Selwyn County Council shall have power to erect and supervise public abattoirs, and for this purpose should have jurisdiction over the City of Christchurch and the suburban boroughs and other local bodies. The Mayor of Sydenham and Messrs Gapes, Meares and Hardie voted against the amendment. The Mayor of Sydenham pointed out that the alteration of the clause would render the measure proposed to be introduced into Parliament merely a local Bill instead of a public Bill. Councillor Meares moved a new clause to he numbered 4a, recommending that legislation be obtained to provide that at any time following such delegation, as provided ia Clause 3, a majority of the local bodies so combining may by a resolution of a majority of their number revoke such delegation. Mr Hardie seconded the motion. It was explained that the proposed clause was not intended to affect the powers of the County Council in respect to slaughterhouses.

The clause was agreed to. Recommendations No. 7, providing that rejiorts of infectious diseases shall be sent to the local bodies, to be forwarded by them to the local Board of Health when they have delegated their powers; and No. 8, empowering local bodies delegating their powers to provide funds for defraying the expenses of carrying out the foregoing provisions, were agreed to. Councillor Meares moved a further new clause—“ That local bodies may combine for the purpose of carrying out any such of the provisions of the Public Health. Act as they shall think fit.” Councillor Gapes seconded the motion, which was negatived by seven votes to four.

The report of the Committee as amended was adopted. It was decided to send the report to the Government, with a request that legislation should be introduced for carrying it into effect.

Councillor Meares moved a vote of thanks to the Sydenham Borough Council generally, and to the Mayor of Christchurch iu particular, for having brought the matter under the consideration of the various local bodies. Mr York seconded the motion, which was carried.

A vote of thanks was passed to the Mayor of Christchurch for his conduct in the chair, and a similar compliment was accorded to the Town Clerk of Sydenham, Mr C. Allison, for the services he had gratuitously rendered to the conference. The Mayor of Sydenham thanked the conference for its vote of thanks, but expressed the opinion that the local bodies, as a rule, would be unwilling to hand over their powers to the County Council, as recommended by the resolutions agreed to by the Conferenee. The Conference then adjourned sine die.