PAPANUI DRAINS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17527, 10 July 1917, Page 9

PAPANUI DRAINS.

"HOTBEDS OF DISEASE.”

COMPLAINTS BY RESIDENTS. \ deputation of Papanui householders waited on the Woiraoiri County Council yesterday to asl: for an impvovement of ijm drainage or the ridin?*. Mr S. It. Webb said that owing to defective drains the schools had been closed, and deaths had occurred among tho‘ children. Tliere wera places that were a hotbed of disease. The chairman (Mr S. A. Staples) sard that some four years ago a loan proposal for concrete channelling had been rejected; but the council would bo „\. v \ to submit further proposals if they were likely to be adopted. •Mr R W. Hawhc called on Mr Webb to- withdraw his allegations .regarding “ hotbeds of disease.” Another member of the _ deputation said that there were various drains that wove hotheds of disease, and would become so in summer, and many people would leave Papanui as soon as they got a chance. , Mr Webb said that tiro facts_ were patent. Diphtheria h;id been rife in the district, and it was mainly attributable to bad drainage. Schools had

been closed and the orphanages in the district Were unable to fiend their children to school. A drain in front ofMho Papanui School had been conuemued. by the health inspector. Tho chairman said that the nuis&nco at the school had been due to the school authorities. Papanui was not singular in having diphtheria and scarlet fever. but! he thought that the visit of the deputation would do good. ’ Mr F. Sisson said that the residents of Papanui were always crying down their own district, yet they had rejected a loan proposal. Ho moved that! Mr W. It. Patrick, chairman of the School Committee, should be asked to prepare a requisition from ratepayers in tho area affected for a public meeting to consider a loan. The motion was carried. Mr W. Nickolls said that something must he done, for ho hnd been sickened by passing - the Langdon's Road drain near the bowling green, and the drain near the Masonic Hall was nearly as bad. * Mr W. P. Spencer moved that tho offensive drains should bo cleaned. Mr Hawke said that the remedy lay in preventing the residents from putting offensive matter in the drain without sending enough water down to carry it down. Finally the matter was referred to a sub-committee to confer with the health officer on tho ground.