REMARKS RESENTED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19718, 18 August 1927, Page 12

REMARKS RESENTED.

ELLERSLIE SEWAGE TROUBLE HEALTH OFFICER'S REPORT. LOCAL BODIES TAKEN TO TASK. Strong exception to a letter forwarded by Dr. 11. Chesson, medical officer of health at Auckland, to the Minister of Health regarding the recent sewage overflow at EHerslie, was taken by Mr. R. G. Clark, chairman of the One Tree Hill Road Board, a't the meeting of the board last evening. The Minister of Health wrote stating he had received the following report from Dr. Chesson: "Mr. Clark and his engineer, Mr. Dawson, visited the area with me and introduced me to what was at that time a lake of sewage. The Ellerslie Town Board was aware of the condition and was waiting for the flood-water to subside before covering the area with chloride of lime in an endeavour to mitigate the nuisance. "There is no doubt the main trouble lies in the separate action of the little local authorities around Auckland. Ellers lie is apparently unable to finance the work which is necessary to abate the nui-. sauce, as you will note from the report of Dr. Hughes on June 30, 1926. It. is a pity that action cannot be taken to force the districts like EHerslie, One free Hill and other small road boards to join up with the Greater Auckland scheme. One Tree Hill is not without blame in regard to this trouble; there has been lack of co-operation between these local bodies

"I have, as a result of my visit on Friday, brought the matter again before the EHerslie Town Board, and requested that immediate steps be taken to adopt one or other of the schemes previously proposed. There are apparently two alternatives, one to drive through and discharge into the Manukau, and the other to pump into the drainage board's sewers. As you will gather from Dr. Hughes' report there is a strip of One Tree Hill Iving between EHerslie and Onehunga and you will note that One Tree Hill has raised objection to the Ellershe Town Board running its sewer through the One

Tree Hill property." The chairman said he had sent the following reply to the Minister: —"With reference to Ellershe drainage, there is no question of the joint interests of EHerslie and One Tree Hill. It is purely Ellerslie's business. We have had difficulties to contend with in One Tree Hill but have successfully coped with them by erecting a pumping-station in tho western area and connecting with the Auckland sewerage, which certainly can be done in Ellerslie.

"The remarks regarding joining the city are strongly resented by me. It is a great pity the officers of your department do not content themselves with Health Department affairs instead of tendering advice to local bodies. Speaking for my own district, One Tree Hill, we are quite capable of looking after our own business, and we contend we have done so successfully up to the moment-. We therefore resent either Dr. Hughes or Dr. Chesson's advice in this direction. "The fact remains the conditions at Ellerslie are at present a distinct blot on the landscape as far as Auckland is concerned, and are a distinct menace not only to the residents in the immediate vicinity, but also to every passenger using the train service. There is little wonder that several outbreaks o£ diphtheria have been found in Auckland recently." . The action of the chairman was endorsed.