FOOD INSPECTION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7176, 29 May 1891, Page 1

FOOD INSPECTION.

o CONFERENCE OP LOCAL BODIES. The adjourned conference of represents tives of the local bodies in the Christ church Drainage District, in regard to thi inspection of perishable provisions, too] place at the City Council Offices yesterda; evening; present — The Mayor of Christ church (in the chair), the Mayor of Syden ham, Councillors Moor and Meares (S Albans), Councillor Gapes (Christchurch) Messrs E. Weß.enra and T. York (Selwyi County Council), H. J. Hall (Riccartoi Koad Board), J. Patterson and C. Burgesi (Avon Eoad Board), T. Hardie (Linwooc Town Board), and — Hadecke (Spreydoi Eoad Board.) Apologies were made for the absence o: Councillor White (Sydenham), Mr Bergl (Linwood), and Messra M'Diarmid anc liichardsou (Woolston). The report presented by the Committer at the last meeting of the conference, anc published last week, was considered clau_< by clause. Clauses 1 to 4 were adopted. In relation to Clause 5, stating that th< Selwyn County Council was disposed to acl as a local Board of Health, Mr Hall pro po_«d as an amendment — " That this Committee recommend that the Selwyn Countj Council act as a local Board of Health foi the districts included in the Christchurcl Drainage District, under the provisions ol Section 297 of ' The Counties Act, 1886; subject to amendments being made theretolimiting the Council's jurisdiction thereunder to the control of dairies, the sale ol i perishable provisions, and to such othei subjects as the local Boards of Health may have power and agree to place under ite control." Councillor Moor seconded the amendment, which was negatived by Bix votes to five, and the clause was adopted. The following recommendations of the Committee were agreed to : — No. I—That1 — That the proviso to Section 14 of " The Public Health Act, 1876,"" constituting the Christchurch Drainage Board a local Board of Health, Section 4 of "The Public Health Act, 1876, Amendment Act, 1877," and "The Public Health Act, 1876, Amendment Act, 1880," should be repealed. That legislation be introduced (No. 2) to enable local Boards of Health to make by-laws to regulate the sale of perishable provisions, the licensing of dairies and slaughterhouses, and to take steps to prevent the spread of infectious disease through unsound perishable provisions. Nos. 3 and 4, providing that local bodies may delegate their powers as local Boards of Health to auy County, City or Borough Council, and that when threefifths of the local bodies in a continuous \\rea agreed to so delegate their powers, all dther local bodies in such area Bhould cease to have any power as lecal Boards of Health. No. 5, that any County or Borough exercising such delegated powers may make by-laws for carrying them out. Recommendation No. 6 was, on the motion of Mr Hall, amended so aB to suggest that legislation be obtained to provide that the Selwyn County Council shall have power to erect and supervise public abattoirs, and for this purpose should have jurisdiction over the City of Christchurch and the suburban boroughs and other local bodies. The Mayor of Sydenham and Messrs Gapes, Meares and Hardie voted against the amendment. The Mayor of Sydenham pointed out that the alteration of the clause would render the measure proposed to be introduced into Parliament merely a local Bill instead of a public Bill. Councillor Meares moved a new clause to be numbered 4a, recommending that legislation be obtained to provide that at any time following such delegation, as provided in Clause 3, a majority of the local bodies so combining may by a resolution of a majority of their number revoke such delegation. Mr Hardie seconded the motion. It was explained that tho proposed clause was not intended to affect the powers of the County Council in respect to slaughterhouses. The clause was agreed to. Eecommendations No. 7, providing that reports of infectious diseases shall be sent to the local bodies, to be forwarded by them to the local Board of Health when they have delegated their powe_B ; and No. 8, empowering local bodieß delegating their powers to provide funds for defraying the expenses of carrying out tho foregoing provisions, were agreed to. Councillor Meares moved a further new clause— "That local bodies may combine for the purpose of carrying out any such of the provisions of the Public Health Act as tbey shall think fit." Councillor Gapes seconded the motion, which was negatived by seven votes to four. The report of the Committee as amended was adopted. It was decided to send the report to the Government, with a request that legislation should be introduced for carrying it into effect. Councillor Meares moved a vote of thanks to the Sydenham Borough Council generally, and to the Mayor of Christchurch in particular, for having brought the matter under the consideration of the various local bodies. Mr York secondodthe motion, which was carried. A vote of thanks was passed to the Mayor of Christchurch for his conduct in the chair, and a Rimilar compliment waß accorded to the Town Clerk of Sydenham, Mr C. Allison, fcr the services he had gratuitously rendered to the conference. The Mayor of Sydenham thanked the conference for its vote of thanks, but expressed the opinion that the local bodies, as a rule, would be unwilling to hand ovor their powers to the County Council, aB recommended by the resolutions agreed to by the Conference. The Conference then adjourned sine die.