THE HEALTH ACT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12398, 11 January 1901, Page 8

THE HEALTH ACT.

' GOVERNMENT OFFICERS AND LOCAL BODIES., ; INTERVIEWS WITH DR MASON. Yesterday afternoon the Mayor of Sydenham- (Mr B. P. Mamhire) and the Town Clerk of the borough, waited on Dr Mason, Chief Medical Health Officer, with reference to the power Cji the Borough Council to appoint a local medical officer of health. - DrMason stated that under the Municipal Corporations Act all Borough andl County Councils could appoint any officer 'in -that connection that they thought fit. .'He hoped that the people of Sydenham would nave their own medical officer of ,'health. If they did so, they would have an officer who would be responsible to them, and would be able to advise them on all fcanu-ary matters Tn the borough. v Representatives of other local bodies were present, and Dr Mason stated that the district health officers whom it' was intended ' to appoint would he responsible to the central authority.- Their duties would'-in'ho way conflict with the local health officers; , It was stated that some misapprehension had arisen in the minds of members of •local bodies with regard ,to the. scope of the Act, as it was feared that the whole of the responsibility for the sanitary condition of the districts would he 'removed from the local authorities. Dr Mason, however, stated that that was not so.. The framers of the Act had no. such intention. The Government officers should be regarded in the light of active advisers of-the local bodies rather, than as usurers of the duties',of local health- officers." ”' . In the course of an interview with a representative of this journal last evening. Dr Mason stated that- though, under the new' Act, a central body had been established, it was not intended to centralise pffiver. There would hot be the sHghtest attempt to interfere unnecessarily in local mattens, with regard to : hoisam!oes,-yd»..jaaD|ys' thing else. What was wanted was that • the present state of affairs should continue :a; far as ■ possible, and that -'everj man should be encouraged to add to the healthiness and beauty of his own home. Ej however, any dispute arose with regard to what was or was not a nuisance, then the central authority would Step in and give its decision. It would also exercise the powers ; given to it when any local body neglected its duties with regard to sanitation, to the menace of the health. of ghe community. 'Ho desired to strongly emphasise the fact that the central authorities appointed under the new Act desired to work with the local ;bodies, for the good of all, and he would be sorry if any -other idea obtained a hold.