CITY FOOD SUPPLIES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7842, 3 July 1911, Page 1

CITY FOOD SUPPLIES

“ WORSE THAN CHICAGO!” DISGRACEFUL STATE OF THINGS IN AUCKLAND. SPECIAL TO THIS ** TIME® ** AUCKLAND, July 1. The report of Mr Haynes, the City Council’s (chief sanitary inspector, on tho question of food supplies and conditions discovered to he existing 1 at certain shops iu the city, came before the City Council, and was tho subject of considerable discussion. Tho Mayor (Mr C, J. Barr) after reading the report to tho council, said ho had taken upon himself to make this report public, while suppressing names. Such a condition of things was hardjy believable, and must be dealt with. Mr Haynes pointed out that there were no less than four authorities having power in the matter, although so confused had tho position become that it did not seem clear which of the four was really the responsible one. There could be no question about it, however, such a disgraceful state of affairs could not b© allowed tn continue any longer than possible. It was of primary importance that •fnirelycooked food should be obtained by citizens from the shops in which cooked food was vended- It was evident that the law of the country was so indefinite unsatisfactory on tho niiestion of dealing with food supplies that there were uo less than four ovcfrla.no in nr authority's, but which had power to deal with tho subject, it was difficult to say. Somethinjr must be. done to remedy the conditions referred to pending more definite legislation, and it seemed to him that it was for tho council to take action. If what was stated in the report were true —and he was satisfied • that it was true—it was a shorlting thing l to think that this sort of thin." could hanpon while their inspector was powerless to put ■ out his finger to stop it. They must see that the food places' of the city were above suspicion on this subject of cleanliness, and he moved, therefore, that the report be referred to the works committee.

I Mr G. Read expressed the opinion that if people were keeping places in gudh a state of filth their names should he published. “'Why. it is a damnable state of affairs! It is worse than Chicago! 1 exclaimed the councillor, heatedly. _He suggested that a separate .committee should ho set up.to investigate.' the whole matter. Mr Shaw said ho thought the council had cleaned up the city,, hut evidently such was not the cage. Those. places were -veritable plague soots, and if idt-aetio means could he obtained to deal with the matter let it be dealt with, no matter what the cost. He agreed with Mr : Read that a special sanitary ■.committee should .be set up to deal with the matter. Councillor J. Court thought a large share of responsibility for the, state of affairs shown rested with the council itself, because be. understood that within the last two years the' staff of inspectors bad been reduced. The council should deal with this question of ford supply: as it did some, time ago with the milk. Councillor Knight was of opinion that there had been some neglect on the part of the city officials to enable matters to come to the state disclosed in the report. He did not agree witjj suppressing. the names of-the owners of the premises reported on because it reflected on those who had clean houses. The Mayor pointed out unless there was a positive “ nuisance ’’ apart from mere neglect, the inspector could not deal with the matter. Consequently he had no legal authority to deal with the greater part of the cases mentioned. What was before the council was to get legal authority, to act in such cases of carelessness vhicli could, be r6mediod In twenty-four hours. Eventually the report was referred to the works committee, they to confer with the health officer, the inspector of factories and the inspector of police, as to the best means of remedying the present conditions. NEWSPAPER COMMENT. The " Star," dealing editorially with the subject, says The report on " Public Food ' Supplies" submitted by the chief sanitary inspector to the City Council can hardly fail to shock and horrify the- people of Auckland. We need. not dwell at length upon the particularly loathsome and repulsive details which Mr Haynes supplies in profusion. It is enough, and more than enough, to note that many, of the buildings in which food is prepared for public consumption here aro unlit and unventilated, infested with flies and rats, and reeking. with foulness and corruption. .There is no reason to believe that Mr Hay-nes - has in any way exaggerated this horrible and disgusting evidence, which depicts a condition of things to the last degree repugnant to the public sense of decency, and dangerous to the public health. At a time when so much attention is given by i scientihc and - medical authorities throughout the world to the prevalence of serin diseases and the risk of _ their transmission it may seem almost incredible that such conditions should exist in a civilised community, but the case is by no means unparalleled, and we can only regret for the sake of our city's reputation that it has become possible dTuecessary to - shock the sensibilities of our readers by forcing these deplorable tacts upon their notice. theeb cases. The following are thred of the numerous cases reported upon by the city sanitary inspector: — , Hotel off Queen street.—Kitchen in basement dirty; light and ventilation through street gratings; open garbage tins near food; lift for raising meals to dining room used for’ removing garbage, which was apparently upset on some occasions, as the lift was dirty, and underneath were found decomposing bones, animal and vegetable matter. 1 auditioned off from the kitchen by a wooden screen is an insanitary urinal tor public use. This building was mtested with in Queen street.—The oven top was 1 used to deposit rubbish and contained large quanuties of old boots, rags, ba"s, tins, bottles, decayed potatoes, egg shells and dust; cupboards where meat was cooled after cooking lined with cobwebs, dust and dirt, alive with vermin and plenty of evidence of rats. ,Qn the floor above there existed a detective convenience. Floors rotten and. broken and rat infested. , . „ Diningroom, Queen street.—Basement used for storing vegetables, meat, groceries, live poultry, coal and lumoer. When inspected on Sunday evening two men were found opening oysters in this basement, the place smelling most offensively owing to decayed vegetables and rubuish stored therein. Seven ■ dead rats were seen on the floor, and one in open box of currants. The place had been swarming with rats, but theee were dying in all directions, and no trouble was taken to remove them. All food was open and accessible to vermin. „The kitchen and pantry and sanitary appliances were in a filthy condition, -being -cated with grease and dirt.