SANITATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10422, 21 April 1897, Page 6

SANITATION.

TO THE EDITOK. Sir,—Twelve months ago I offered some suggestions for improving the sanitary condition of the city and suburbs. Your subleader, " The Hospital and Its Work," in Tuesday's issue, is my excuse for asking you to allow me to re-submit them for the consideration of the public:—l. Householders have no direct voue in municipal affaire. 2. The necessity for improving aud extending the general drainage system inu3t be admitted. 3. When extended, the making of connections therewith from all private properties ought to be rigidly enforced, in accordance with proper regulations, uuder the supervision of, and to the satisfaction of the city authorities. 4. The present source of water supply, unless safe guarded, must, sooner or later, become contaminated. 5. There ought to be regulations as to the laying out of sufficient backyards, properly fenced, in connection with all houses intended for occupation by human beings. 6. To recognise that in ail streets where there is no main drain, it is the duty of the authorities to provide a proper smooth channel, on to which ordinary house water may be drained, and which shall be periodically flushed by the authorities. It is the duty of householders to destroy by fire much of the rubbish that is allowed to accumulate, aud that the remainder ought to be collected by an eliicient system, worked by and under the direct supervision of the authorities, and thenjeonverted into manure. 7- To introduce and enforce regulations for the construction and position of proper and sufficient closet buildings, and particularly as to the construction of closet receptacles. 8. That the authorities ought to undertake the working of the uightsoil service, supply the' receptacles, and make the adoption thereof compulsory on all property-owncri. The charge would, of course, be collected through the rent. 9. To make the use of a proper deodorant compulsory, the deodorant to be supplied as a part of the service. One-half of the bulk to be deposited in the bottom of the receptacles as an absorbent, the other half to be spread in the usual way. 10. Certain building sites aud properties ought to be declared unfit for human habitation. 12. To establish and enforce proper regulations for and a rigid inspection of all food supplies. These are all important matters to every householder in Auckland, and it is, in my opinion, criminal the way in which ordinary precautions against filth diseases are neglected. Ignorance, apathy, laziness, and greed account for a good deal of this neglect. To illustrate this, and to emphasise the third suggestion, let me give one instance of a number that have come under my direct notice. Iu a certain street in the city there have been deaths from typhoid. Close by there was a drain from private property laid in the usual credo, cheap, defective, and dangerous manner. The drain was connected with the city main drain. Owing to certain defects in the construction of the private drain, the clay soil had been tunnelled from about the pipes, and in places the surface had fallen in, leaving wide fissures therein. Through the open joiuts of the pipes and through these Assures sewer gas am) filth must hare escaped in considerable volume, and been carried (there is no knowing how far) through the underground network of fissures caused by the defective laying of private drains generally. The yard cesspit* were constructed iu a disgraceful fashion, and were as disgracefully neglected. Now where is the sense in the City Council constructing main drains in a careful way, then calling upon property owners to connect private drains thereinto, and at the s»me time allowing these said private drains to bo constructed in the most faulty and dangerous manner? Defective private drains are not only a great danger to the public health, but they are also the frequent aud certain cause of damage to, aud may cause the collapse of the city mains! The thing is rank folly! In a word all private drains ought to be perfectly laid throughout to the satisfaction of the city authorities, or, better still, they might be laid by the city authorities at fair schedule rates. The Newton Borough Council, to their infinite credit be it said, are doiug an excellent work in this direction. I sincerely trust, sir, you will not allow this matter to drop, und that each property-owner and each householder will be induced t» recogniso that he has duties to perform to himself and his neighbour, and society has a perfect right to demand its observance. Rouse the whole people in that direction, and local filth will soon begin to disappear, and with it some of the ignorance, apathy, laziness, and greed that at present seem to blight our every undertaking and the lives of our people.—l am, etc., Jons Mitcukll, Arthur-street, Ponsonby.