PUBLIC HEALTH.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14787, 14 December 1918, Page 4

PUBLIC HEALTH.

THE HOUSING PROBLEM.

IMPORTANT PROVISIONS OF BILL. NEW SANITARY ORGANISATION. The Public Health. Amendment Bill, as it was finally passed by Parliament, lnak es very important changes m the law relating to public health. It gives greatly increased powers to the Public Health Department m connection with the housing of people. A Public Health Board is constituted, consisting of the Minister of Public Health, the Chief Health Officer, the president of the British • Medical Association for New Zealand, tile head of the medical clinic at Otago University, the officer m charge of local government m the Department of Internal Affairs, and five nominated members holding office for three years. It will be the duty of this board to report to the Minister — (a) Upon methods or developments m national health which m the opinon of the board 1 . it is desirable to introduce into New Zealand; \ (b) Upon any matters concerning the medical services,, on instruction m health matters, suggested atrtendanients m the law, the irelation of the Public Health Department to local government authorities, thle training of medical practitioners, dentists, nurses, and masseurs ; and • (c) Uipon any other matters m connection with public health referred to it by tho .Mimister. . -Tile Minister may set up a district advisory committee to report on such matters as he may refer to it. The 'district health officers and district presidents of the , Medieail Association ItHll be ex officio members, the remaining members being nominated by the Minister. ; LODODfG^O'U&EJS. Any local authority may establish lodging-houses within or near its own boundaries. The land :requiresd for the purpose may be taken under the Public' Works Act, 1908, and the money required for the' purchase of the land and the erection and furnishing of the buildings may be raised undfer the Lo«vl Bodies' Loans Act, 1913, by special order. The local authority may either let the lodging-houses or itself maintain and administer them. The local authority may, with the approval of the Minister, make by-laws for the conduct of all such lodg-ing-houses. UNHJiIALTHY BUILDINGS. Upon the certificate of the district health officer that any building or part of. a building is m a condition unfit for occupation or dangerous to public health, the local .authority shall give notice to, the owner to pull down the same within the ■time' named m tJie notice, not ex-/ deeding eight weeks. In lieu of requiring, the owner to pull, down any insanitary building, the dis-, tarict health officer may require the owner to make structural alterations or additions to the building or iinproveni'ents to the 'sanitary conditions. The owner of the building may appeal to a Magistrate. The decision of the Magistrate shadl be' final, and he shall make such order as to costs as he thinks fit.

If any such appeal is not allowed, or if there is; no such, appeal, and tho owner fails to pull down the building 1 within the time named m the notice, the local authority shall cause the building to be forthwith pulled down, and.' may from the owner all expenses incurred under this section. :

li\ th» local authority fails within two months after notice to take action has beea delivered by the • district health officer, the district lieallh offider shall proceed! to exercise all tlie powers conferred on the local authority. • INSPfICTIOiN OF BUILDINGS. Any local authority may make by-laws providing for the inspection of aavy building beforei heong occupied by a new owner or tenant.

The local authority shall appoint a competent inspector of buildings, whose duty it shall be to inspect every building. \ The inspector shall report to the local authority as to the condition of every occafpied building 'm the district, and m particular as to : Area, of land occupied and air-space, :water r supply, baths, lavatories, sanitary and hygienic conditions, the name of the owner, the name and occupation of the occupier, the number and descriptions of the rooms, the number of persons livirig m the building, if .rented, the rental payaibJe, and such other information as may be ordereid by the local authority.

INSANITARY AREAS. The District Health Officer may report to the local authority and Boardof Health, upon the necessity for ; improving any part of a district under the provisions of Section 293 of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1908. If the local authority neglects or refuses to take action within three months tfye Board of Health shall . liold a public inquiry into the matter. The report of the Board of Health shall bo transmitted to tho Minister, who shall forward a copy of it to the local authority. The local authority shall consider the report of the i. Board of Health and forward to the Minister, its decision thereupon. If the local authority approves the recommendations of the Board of Health, it ' shall proceed with all reasonable speed to give effect thereto. If the local authority still refuses or neg-^ lects for the period of one-year to proceed continuously thereunder, the Minister may request fche Minister of Public Works to carry out the report of the : Board of Health at the cost of the local authority. To give effect to this clause it shall not be necessary for the local authority to tuko a poll of the ratepayers m connection with any loan that "may be required. ' ' OVERCROWDING.

On and alter February Ist, 1919, it shall not be lawful for any person — . (a) To take m more than five lodgers at any time for board and residence, either tempoiury or permanent, unless the promises have been licensed by the' local authority m accordance with regulations to be made. (b) To take m. a greater number of lodgers' as aforesaid than is specified m any such license. (c) To let any house or tenement m which more than one family is to re,side, or any room for the occupation of more than two persons,, withotit, the previous approval of the local authority, m accordance with regulations to be made, " MEDICAL SERVICES. • On the application •by special resolution of any. local authority the Minister may. provide a resident medical practitioner for the district. The Minister shall fix the salary and emoluments of the .. medical officer, jvho may, hold Government, appointments connected with .public, health m the district for which he is appointed. Such medical officer shall charge the patient for his services through the local. body, provided! that m necessitous cases his services shall be free to the patient. .-. . . All fees paid for services {rendered by the medical officer shall be payable into the district fund of the, local- authority, which shall pay the salary of the medical officer either, out of the general rate of the district or by means of a separate rate for the purpose. Any t\vo or moro local authorities whose distriata are adjacent may combine for the purposes of this section m such manner as they think fit, and thereupon the provisions of this section shall apply to the districts of all such local authorities. These »erviccs of the medical offi-

cer shall be available to all friendly societies and other organisations approved* by the on such terma as he may determine. •HEALTH OFFICERS. The Minister (may irequire the council of any i borough. «. having a -, population of more than-five thousand 'to appoint a registered'medical practitioner as medical officer and also such sanitary inspectors as may be deemed necessary. No such officer shall be appointed without the apprpval of the Minister. No house shall be erected or occupied as a dwelling-place unless . approved by the. local authority on the recommendation of the inspector under this Act, who shall oertify to the water supply, baths, and sanitary conditions of the property. PICTURE THEATRES. No picture theatre shall be opened before the hour of two o'clock m the afternoon or between the hours of five and seven m the evening of any day. The- Minister may, on the recommendation of the Board of Public Health, establish and maintain lecturers, instructors, training classes, gymnasia, and any other methods m the interests of public health, the cost to be paid out of moneys appropriated by Parliament.

Any local authority may, subject to the approval of the •Minister .m charge of Hospitals and Charitable Aid, pay out of its ordinary fund such moneys as it thinks fit to such persons as it thinks fit for the assistance and development of any society, organisation, or institution not established for purposes of profit, ;inrl whoso object is to promote public lu-alUi, or for the establishment and maintenance of bursaries to medical or deuta.l students. ' COMPULSORY POWERS. If any person is found by an inspector totbe living m insam'tary conditions and without proper and adequate regard to health, food, and clothing, . such person may be ordered by the Bistrict Health Officer to remove to an institution under the control of a hospital and charitable aid board; and m the event of such person neglecting or, refusiiig to become an inmate of the institution aforesaid, he shall be suminpned before a justice of the Peace, who shall make such order as he shall 3eem fit. ] PROHIBITED DWELLINGS. Any local authority may, and shall trhen ordered by ttie District Health Dfficer, make by-laws prohibiting .the lse of houses or any class of rooms iherein for human habitation that m ;he opinion of the District Health Offiser are? unfit for such ' habitation. Tlie powers of a district health officer nay be- conferred on a local authority vhich is satisfactorily enforcing the ow and safeguarding the public health. The Bill contains many other clauses ntended to strengthen the hands of lealth^ officers and extend the power to secure improved housing conditions.