A "CLEAN-UP" WEEK FOR WELLINGTON.

Colonist, Volume LXI, Issue 15075, 19 May 1919, Page 7

A "CLEAN-UP" WEEK FOR WELLINGTON.

A meeting of the epidemic inspectors who co-operated with the city's inspectors during the influenza epidemic was held in Wellington to consider the sanitary conditions of the city. The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke), who presided, said that he wished to have something to lay before the council when they met. The health of the city should be a ,paramount consideration. There was an impression that the sanitary staff was not large enough to cope with the work. In a dozen years sanitary inspection of the city had led to 187 houses being pulled down, 30 repaired, and to 108 going out of use as dwellings. He wag in favour of a clean-up week in Wellington.

A question was asked as to how many inspectors there were, the reply being that there were five, which were not considered sufficient.

Mr P. Green said that the conditions in the houses he visited were deplorable. At one bakehouse there had not been a., cleaning for three years, and the rubbish sent away was nine dray loads. At a lolly shop he found enough for three dray loads. In some of the places there -were dead rats. Tenants said that if they sgpke of complaining the landlords said they would eject them.

One of the speakers said that some of the places needed to be dealt with in the most drastic manner, and among those we're houses o^ned by the city corporation.

The Mayor: They are the worst offenders, are they not? The reply was that they were, and that a certain avenue in Wellington South should be wiped out. There were about twenty houses in the street, and not one of them was fit to live in.

?vlrs. Hulbert said that the conditions at some of the refreshment rooms in the city were disgusting. She hoped that the stables would be removed from a locality in wliich the headquarters of the city milk supply was to f:e carried on.

The meeting agreed ..that the a-j-Gv authorities should have every power possible for the carrying out of the work of keeping the city in a proper condition.

It was also decided to express the opinion that it was desirable that the City Council should institute without delay an active campaign of cleaningup throughout the city. •