HEALTH OF AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17966, 16 December 1921, Page 9

HEALTH OF AUCKLAND.

AOTIVITY OF THE COUNCIL. PROSECUTIONS IN HAND. WAE AGAINST DIRT. A report upon his visit of inspection, made in company with Health Department authorities on Wednesday last to various parts of the city in connection with the health precautions campaign, was submitted by the Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunson, to the City Council last evening. He said the condition of many of the places visited was not satisfactory, and most rigid action to enforce good sanitary conditions would be taken. Proceeding, the Mayor said that tho chief sanitary inspector, Mr. C. T. Haynes, had been directed to have prepared new by-laws under the Public Health Act, 1920, for consideration. Several prosecutions for uncleanly and insanitary premises were now in hand. One of the principal hotel premises in the city was found to be unsatisfactory, there being no compliance with the sanitary officer's requirements, and prosecution had been decided upon. There were several other places where, unless dioy were cleaned up and brought into a satisfactory condition within the next 24 hours, similar action would be taken. "It is perfectly clear that there is negligence and dilatoriness in sanitary | matters on the part of many householders, i and also occupiers of commercial premises," said Mr. Gunson. "Warnings | by the chief sanitary inspector and his staff have been in cases disregarded, and! the time hag arrived for the council to t tako the strictest measures and adopt a rigid policy of prosecution to compel j owners of premises, where neglect con-' tinues, to brin; such premises into a I satisfactory condition. This applies not, only to hotels and restaurants, but also! to many of the stores and other premises where there is a harbourage for rats and an accumulation of foodstuffs takes place. I "The definite instructions now given to! the chief sanitary inspector will be acted upon, and the council may then consider, the whole position at a special meeting which it is proposed to hold on Tuesday ! neit. In the meantime the council may! rest assured that the fullest activity will j continue, and the utmost vigilance bo shown, and Uiat no allowance will be! made to thos e showing neglect or disregard of ordinary sanitary precautionary 1 measures.

Trams to be Specially Cleansed. "The campaign against rats still continues, and in this matter the utmost, vigilance and activity on tho part of householders and occupiers of commercial premises is needed. It is proposed to ask the council to continue to supply rat poison free, and require firms and others where necessarv to apply an effective disinfectant." The Mayor added that the question of tramcar sanitary cleaning had oeen fully looked into, and as' a further precaution special arrangements had been made for the sweeping and disinfecting of cars at the foot of Queen Street and Customs Street termini during the day period. This would cover all the regular cars which do not return to a depot until after the shutting down of the service at night. The work would be carried out between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., and it was thought that each car would have attention twice between the hours stated. All cars left the barn thoroughly cleansed and disinfected, so this was work of an extra precautionary character. The city engineer had been specially instructed to see to all cesspits, watercourses, and other places in the city where rubbish was likely to accumulate, also to require strict enforcement of the or-few regarding proper rubbish receptacles, and to specially clean up channels in lanes, etc. The report was considered in committee and adopted.

Sanitary Inspector's Recommeadstions. The chief sanitary inspector made the following recommendations:—That the building, plumbing, drainage, and waterworks inspectors see that all work done under their supervision, and particularly in the business part of the city, be so completed as to prevent as far as practicable, rats gaining access to buildings through holes in foundations, floors and walls, or by means of pipes, chases, partidons, etc., obtaining admission to ceilings. That the by-laws be amended, if necessary, so that all buildings shall be so constructed, or where alterations are being made, as to prevent as far as is practicable, the ingress, harbourage, and passage way of rats. That every facility be given for the removal of rubbish, the collectors not to refuse snch, provided the quantity or description is not unreasonable. Any question of the class of receptacle to be dealt with by the sanitary inspectors. The public should be urged to burn as mnch refuse as possible, and place nothing but dry material in their receptacles, which should be kept clean and never left withont a lid.

The recommendations were adopted. It was also decided that in future, when the lanitary inspectors give notice to the owner of any premises for the removal of any refuse or waste materials, the inspector inform the owner or occupier the place where snch refuse may be deposited. The Mayor mentioned that it had been intended to hold a special meeting to-day to consider draft by-laws submitted by Mr. Haynes, but these proved to be so very voluminous that he could not ask the council to deal with them at such short notice. He therefore suggested that the meeting called for to-day be allowed to lapse by non-attendance, and be held one day next week. At the same meeting the council could consider the annual balance-sheet, which had that day been received from the auditor. The course suggested was agreed upon, and the special meeting was fixed for noon on Tuesday. Destructor Temporarily Disabled. The collapse of one of the charging holes at the city destructor, and the nrgent necessity of in consequence shutling down and" affecting repairs, was reported bv the citv engineer. Mr. Bush said he had conferred with the deputy-director-general of health, Dr. J. P. Frengiey, and afterwards obtained _ the permission of tho Harbour Board engineer to tip such portions of the city refuse, which it will he necessary to temporarily divert from the destructor, on an approved place in the board's reclamation. A condition was made that the council should keep a man at the tip to properly bury all objectionable matter with dry •arth and lime and flatten out all tins. Mr Bush paid he bad accordingly made arrangements. The refuse collected in <he western part of the city, which was now taken to the destructor, would bo temporarily diverted to tho Grey Lynn tip, leaving only the eastern Dortion to be taken to the* reclamation. The report "as adopted.