SOUTHERN CITIES LEAD.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 147, 14 August 1911, Page 2

SOUTHERN CITIES LEAD.

AUCKLAND 50 YEARS BEHIND. PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICER SPEAKS OUT. In the course of his lecture before the Auckland Institute last Monday evening, Dr. Makgill, District Health Officer, made a short discussion on municipal sanitation and town planning. Among the host breeding places lor rats, he said, were food stores and kitchens located below ground, which were far too common in Auckland. “These kitchens,” ho went on, “arc bad enough at any time, lint when the Hood comes along the rats come out and sit on the table and watch the cooks at work, while the cockroaches, of course, are crawling all over the floor. If the general public could see half as much as ( have seen of the places where their food is prepared they would take more care where they, go for their meals. Somehow kitchens,seem to have deteriorated in the last 10 years. The owners scorn to have less regard for sanitation and cleanliness. A number of employers tell mo that is on account of the recent Labour' legislation, but J do not consider that a sufficient excuse-.” Another evil referred to hv Dr. Makgiil was called the “old rabbit warrens” oi houses to he found in Auckland “I'no trouble,” lie said, “is that Auckland lins ciGvelopscl too soon, ft u;as a- groat place 50 years ago, and tnen it sank into a happy, contented state, believing that it was a little better tliarp the other centres in most tilings. Now the others have got a '‘o.kl deal ahead of it in a number of directions, and it is this stigma that I hope Lo remove. Overcrowding h an undoubted evil. There are some overcrowded areas in Auckland, ’ and so far I have been badly handicapped in my cherts to do away with tliom. J have displaced, say, 50 persons from their shim tenements, hut being poor people they nave simply gone and loi mod congested areas elsewhere Hie only way which I can see out of the difficulty is for the authorities to | hnd another home for those people.” In conclusion, he emphasised the need j that every citizen should put his own ' hense in order, and then see that I teose puiflic bodies entrusted with ' r '.ntaiy control had ail the support I t;;ey deserved. I