THE Otago Daily Times. FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 1876.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4344, 21 January 1876, Page 2

THE Otago Daily Times. FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 1876.

While we are making attempts in Dunedin to cope with Scarlet Fever, and while it is clear that a panic is only just avoidable, there cornea to us from the Social Science Meeting at home an interesting account of what those things are which are unhealthy in our present method of building towns. It takes the form of an account given by a Dr Richardson of an imaginary city built upon perfectly healthy principles, from a scientific point of view, in which the moving causes of disease are taken away, and absolute prevention of infection exercised as far as possible. Some of the points noticed are well worthy of examination. Perhaps there is no one who has watched a city like Dunedin growing up who has not regretted that it must be permitted under the habits of our race to grow up in a higgledy-piggledy fashion, according to the tastes and knowledge of hundreds of ignorant proprietors, and without regard to even the smallest scientific precaution against sickness aud avoidable causes of iufection. We are so used to this, that anyone who expresses regret for it would be put down as an unpractical theorist; and yet it is obviously capable of proof that the building of cities is one of those things over which a paternal care might with great advantage be exercised. The diminution of the rate of mortality to eight per thousand, and in the next generation to five per thousand, which sanitary reformers declare to be perfectly possible, would alone be a sufficient recompense. The prolongation of human life to ninety, instead of thirty-two years, upon an average, which is a possibility, aDd not a dream, sounds sufficiently inviting to repay us a good deal of social and organised domestic tyranny. We do not expect, however, that any authoritative interference such as might succeed in producing the Hygeia whicli Dr Richardson has imagined is possible. We are not even prepared to say that it is desirable. The value of the idea consists in the very numerous suggestion* in which it abounds for City Corporations, administrators of building byeJaws, builders, and those who are thinking of building for themselves. Such papers as that to which we have referred will, if they are carefully considered, do something, perhaps do a great deal, to disperse the dense cloud of ignorance that lnuigs like a pall over tbe whole science of health as connected

with building. Dr Richardson, of course, dealt with cities, and ho supposes a city of 100,000 inhabitants living in 20,000 houses, built upon 4000 acres of ground—an average of 25 persons to each acre. The subsoil on the north clay, on the south gravel. The main idea of the whole is this— that houses should be built upon solid archways of brick, forming subways through which the air flows freely, and along whose inclines all water passes away. These subways are used for sewerage, for gas and water supplies, and all the heavier traffic, so that the streets are comparatively silent. All mud and water are washed into these, and " gutter children" thus become imjjossible. Shops in Hygeia are kept apart from dwelling - houses. Dwelling-houses are built of brick, honeycombed in such a manner as to let a constant current of air pass through their outer walls. By means of a small smoke rate all the smoke, purified by a small gas furnace, is permitted to pass colourless into the air. The roofs of houses, paved with asphalt, become tasty flower-gardens, and the kitchen comes immediately under the roof, so that dishes are carried down full and heavy and up empty and light, while the smell passes away into the upper air instead of going through the house. The bedrooms, in which, by-the-way, it is noted that we spend onethird of our life asleep, are well-lighted, roomy, and ventilated. Old clothes, &c., &c, are never permitted place in them. Warming is accomplished by the open fireplace, with an air-chamber behind it to obviate the ordinary waste of heat. One of the more possible and excellent of suggestions is that public work-rooms should be made so as to prevent work ever being done in the family—so that it should be impossible for a half-finished riding habit to be used as a covering for a child sick of scarlet fever. (Since, when all is said and done, people will die, in this city of health they are to be buried in their shrouds or wicker-work coffins, so that in a very few months, in a burial ground artificially made of carboniferous earth, no remains would be found of the dead. One point in dwelliDg-house building we had forgotten to note, but it is one of the most important, and the old habit admits of very easy correction. Thoje most unhealthy parts of household accommodation, layers of mouldy paste and size, layers of poisonous paper or layers of absorbing colours, stuff, or distemper, are entirely done away with. The bricks are left, and may be ornamented according to the purse or taste of the builder.

It will please the Good Templars, and vex the staunch adherents of Sir Walter Raleigh, to learn that, in Hygeia, neither drinking nor smoking is to be allowed.

We have noted some of the points of interest in this singularly interesting paper. Very few of us are aware of what Dr Richardson calls the " solemn fact," that, thanks to our infamously careless and ignorant arrangements, only one-third of the life we might enjoy is our lot. While it is impossible to suppose that most of the suggestions made have any, even the slightest, chance of being carried out, there are one or two worth noticing and remembering. There is no real reason why kitchens should not be at the top of the house. Indeed, there would be one great and direct gain by putting them there—" followers" would be rendered impossible. Again, there is no reason why a wealth of unwholesome plaster should be put upon wholesome wooden walls. It might be worth while, instead of widening Princes street, to raise the houses on each side upon brick arches and let the heavy traffic pass underneath. A smoke rate for Dunedin would be possible too, and we never saw a city of the size where the evil of thick smoke was so staring us in the face. Burial grounds are a much debated matter, but Dr Richaiidson's proposal seems to combine the advantages of cremation and inhumation, while ventilation in our dwelling-houses is at present a mere means for catching cold.

We are requested to remind owners of racehorses nominated for the Dunedin Cup that the acceptances, with first 5 soys. of the sweepstakes, will cloce at the Empire Hotel at 8 o'clock this evening. The Tuapeka races came off yesterday. The weather was beautiful, and about 500 persons were present. All the events were well contested. The Maiden Plate was won by Nelly King, Telemachus 2, Cobby 3. Won by 20 lengths. Lawrence Handicap— Fenian 1, Day Dream 2, Right Bower 3. Won by half a length. District Handicap— Lydia 1, Fenian 2, Cobby 3. Won by four lengths.

The case of Hughes v. Shand, an action for the recovery of £3000 damages for alleged breach of promise of marriage, was commenced yesterday in the Supreme Court. The Courthouse was crowded throughout the day with an audience anxious to be diverted by the disclosures usual on such occasion?. Their desires, however, were not gratified to a very great extent, as the fun up to the present has been of a rather mild description, and there are no love-letters forthcoming. The plaintiff and two of fher wit-ne-ses have been examined, and the hearing of the case will be continued at 10 a.m. this day. A report of yesterday's proceedings will be iound in another column. The Government have thought better of tue action which they took in appointing only their organs to be Gazettes for the Bankruptcy notices under the new Act. In the New Zealand Gazette of the 13th inst., there appoars a proclamation under the hand of Hi 3 Excellency the Governor in which it is set forth that " whereas it is expedient to appoint other newspapers gazettes, in addition to those appointed," the following newspapers shall be gazettes for the districts in the schedule :—The New Zealand Herald, the Taranaki News, the Wanganni Herald, the Lyttelton Times, the Grey River Argus, the Westport Times, the North Otago Times, the Oiago Daily Times, the Dimstan Times, and the Cromwell Argus. A considerable time was occupied at the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday with tbe case of Peter Cain, stevedore, v. Isaac Mann, master of the ship Kedron, now lying at Port Chalmers, which was an action brought to recover the suu» oE :E9G Gs 9d, for services rendered in discharging cargo, Mr Haggitt appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr Mouat for the defendant. The Bum of £14 Is, waß paid into Court, for which amount judgement was given.

Scarlet fever haa broken out at Roslyn and at South Dnnedin, and we hear that in each suburb the local authorities are about to take action.

The Police intend to test, in. aa information to b-3 heard toisay, the right of n wellknown drapery firm in Dunediu to hold tbeir art union of pictures, &c,

A meeting of the Local Board of Health was held at the Town Hall, Port Cbalmers« on Wednesday evening, to receive a communication from His Honour the Superir. tendent, as Chairman of the Central Board of Health, DunediD. There were present— His Worship the Mayor, Councillors Asher, Miller, M'Gregor, and the Town Clerk. The communication was in the form of a circular letter, directing attention to the spread of scarlet fever in the Province, and recommending the adoption of stringent precau> tions to guard against it. In the short discussion that ensued, the Board heartily coincided with the views of the Central Board, aud resolved that Dr Drysdale (as medical adviser of the Board) should he requested to furnish a report of the sanitary condition of the town; and the Inspector of Nuisances was instructed to enforce strict observance of the regulations issued by the Local Board,

One summons case, in which B. Burke charged S. Cornish with illegally detaining a quantity of furniture, and laid the damages at £10, was the only business transacted at the Port Chalmers R.M. Court yesterday. After hearing evidence on both sides, His Worship found for the plaintiff, and ordered the furniture to be returned, failing which defendant to pay the sum claimed, and costs.

A case of suicide, under somewhat strange circumstances, occurred yesterday. A man named Richard Sexton, who has been for some time past in the service of Mr Paveletich, of the Universal Hotel, was locked up for drunkenness on Wednesday night, and yesterday morning was fined. The fine was paid, he was discharged, and went to the faotel. Shortly after he took some liquid that was in a bottle kept for cleaning brass work. Having drank the liquid, he said good-bye to one of the servants, went to his room, and speedily died. A doctor was soon in attendance, but too late. The remainder of the liquid and some matter thrown up by deceased has been given to Dr Black for analysis. An inquest is to be held to-day. It is to be hoped that Mr Inspector Barnes will see that the heavy broken metal which has been laid in George street, between the Octagon and St. Andrew street, will he blinded with proper material as soon as pos. sible. The metal is a good depth, and very rough, and the cabmen complain that several of their horses have gone lame through travelling over it. We know it is only necessary to represent the matter to Mr Barnes to have it at once attended to.

The regular weekly meeting of the Star of Freedom Lodge, No. 5, 1.0.6. T., was held in the Lodge Room, Linden Schoolhouse, on Wednesday night. There was a very good attendance of members. One candidate was initiated. Several visitors were present, among whom was Bro. Robert G-reig, D.D., to whom a very cordial welcome was given in a formal manuer, after which he was invited to occupy the W. C. T. 's chair for the evening. Bro. Greig responded in a neat and congratulatory speech, in which he complimented the Lodge on its steady progress. It having been, at a previous meeting, resolved to hold a socinl meeting at an early date, the Committee appointed in reference thereto reported that arrangements had been made to hold the meeting on the 28 th inst., in the schoolhouse, there being no other suitable place. Officers for the ensuing term were nominated. An election will take place next meeting. The meeting closed in the usual way, and a vote of thanks was passed to the District Deputy for his visit.

We yesterday were favoured with, a view of two splendid imported bulls at Mr Marshall's property, beyond the township of Opoho. One is a shorthorn bull imported by Mr James Marshall in the Wiltshire, and named Riby Knight. Bred by the late Mr William Torr, of Lincolnshire, one of the most celebrated breeders of shorthorn cattle in the world, Kiby Knight is a magnificent animal, and is one of the finest bulls ever imported into this country. In colour he is a rich roan, and in points and symmetry may be described as perfect. la the catalogue of sale his pedigree is traced back for seventeen generations. His sire is Knight of the Shire (Coates's Herd Book, 26,552), and Ilia dam is Riby Lassie (with a long pedigree). This bull was certified by veterinary surgeons in England to be entirely free from disease, and there had been no infectious disease in the part of the country where it was bred, but the authorities here, taking the btrictest precautions against the introduction of the foot-and-mouth disease, have ordered that the bull be quarantined for three months. Mr Marshall's property beyond Opoho has been duly proclaimed a quarantine station for the detention of this bull, and of another valuable imported bull, now there. The latter is a bull imported by Messrs Maclean Brothers, of Manse street, and though not quite equal to Riby Knight, is nevertheless a very fine animal. It is a roan bull, named Florus, and is of I excellent colour and symmetry. It is by Baron Oxford, 5 (Coates's herd book 27,858), \ dam Floriline (by 12th Duke of Oxford, | Coates's herd book, 19,633). Florus was I brought out in the Rakaia, and has been consigned to the order of Messrs Maclean Bros. The two bulls, taking into account their long voyage, are in very fair condition, and from the capital stabling accommodation at Mr Marshall's farm, they will soon, no doubt, improve very considerably. Riby Knight was calved April 14th, 1874, and Florus, April 14th, 1874, so that each is about a year aud nine months. They are costly importations, especially Riby Knight, and it is to be hoped, in view of improving the cattle of the Province and Colony, that the respective importers will do well by their ventures.

Ouic Cromwell correspondent writes:— The annual election of the School Committee has not been without an incident worthy of remark. The old Committee, almost without exception, have not been elected this year. Not that any fault appears to have been charged against them, for I believe a more energetic Committee could not be found ; but, if report speaks truly, because a private arrangement was entered into by the Good Templars to place their mea in the position.—l regret to state that the man belonging to Hutchison's road party, reported lost in the bu3h on the Wesc Coast road, has not been found, and the search for him has been of an intermittent and unsatisfactory kind. — Attention has been called to the number of applications for leases of portions of the Wakatip Commonage as runs, and it is believed that the Government, disgu&ted at the unsatisfactory I Commonage returns, will not refuse them. The leased country has paid the Government and the proprifctors handsomely, and the commonage appears to have paid neither party. The miuers have as a body declined to interfere. A review of Mr Bailey's statistics from pastoral runs shows that the total yield for assessment is some £GB,OOO, of which the runs on the Commonage 3of Wakatip and Lawrence hava contributed .£II,OOO, or one-sixth of the whole, and this without any ruinous strain on the occupiers. —An undisputed instance of the richness of the slaicing ground at Bannockburn occurred last week, A block of ground about 90 feet square sold by auction for £162 cash, and the purchaser would possess a white elephant but for the rental of water, for which he pays uoine JEG per week tc> a water company, —The fJariick Range Jiace is getting itg

termination, or rather source, finally surveyed, Mr H. W. Smythies being engaged at the work; and we expect shortly to have such a water supply as will enable the whole Bannockburn goldfield to be worked. It would seem as if Cakobau imagines that notwithstanding the cession of the islands, he remains King, at least over his own people, as he has very effeatnally tabu'd the sale of all kinds of produce for the present, at all events so far as Ovalau be concerned. So strictly is this enforced, that on Saturday last, says the Fiji Times of the Ist inst., Captain Suttie, of H.M.S. Nymph, who had been on a shooting expedition aboxit seven miles down the coast, could scarcely obtain a cocoanut from the natives, and it was only upon their having been made acquainted with his rank and position that they reluctantly brought him a couple to enable him to allay his thirst. This is rather expressive, and calculated to lead to the enquiry as to whether the natives are really aware of their position under British

Dunedin is a fine city with a prosperous population (says the Nekon Colonist), but there appears to be grave neglect in its sanitary arrangements. A stranger viewing its numerous commanding public and commercial edifices in the principal streets, would scarcely be prepared to believe the amount of filth and stagnant water which are in existence in some of its ;ow-lyiDg streets unless he visited those parts of that city. Luckily for the Dunedinifces that they have not the warm sunny days for which. Nelson ia noted, otherwise their magnificent and picturesque city would be turned into nothing less than a hotbed of fever and pestilence.

"The Daughter of the Regiment" was performed at the Queen's Theatre last evening, to a numerous attendance. Two very deserving members of the company (Miss Bessie Vivian and Mr Hooper) wi!l take a benefit thia evening, for which, an attractive programme is announced.

The adjourned general meeting of the National Permanent Building Society is set down for this evening in the Athenaeum Hall.

The annual soiree of the Caithness, Sutherland, Orkney, and Shetland Associa> tion will be held in the University Hall this evening.