THE LYTTELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5861, 1 May 1897, Page 5

THE LYTTELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

TO THE EDITOR. 1 Sir, — In common with, the large majority of the citizens of Lyttelton^ I was much 1 surprised and very much, grieved to see 1 that the Lyttelton Borough Council had, ' on the casting vote of the Mayor, resolved • to dispense with the services of its medical ' officer, and that, forsooth, as alleged, to • 6ave «£SO per annum. It is only of late — • since the appointment of a medical officer, ■ and since his sanitary orders have been ■ carried out— that we have been free from 5 what was long looted upon as a curse, viz., J diphtheria. Our schools in the past were L shut for weeks together, and visitors » fought shy of tho port for the reason, as stated, that the placo was unhealthy. I have been told upon good authority that the gentleman acting as medical officer lost several of his patients owing to his insisting on sanitary reforms, which — notwithstanding in many cases applied to his personal friends— were duly carried out, and I am much afraid that the tone of many marine residents is, if not to resent reforms, at least to throw cold water upon the same, and retard any measures such as of late have been insisted upon in the interest of public health. Potty personal motives have so far retarded the growth and' prosperity of Lyttelton, and if actions such as this last of the Lyttelton Borough Council are to obtain, well, I for one, feel sorry for the wellbeing of our port. Instead of doing away with the services of a medical officer, more power ought to have been granted to him, and I much fear that if expert knowledge is entrusted to a layman, things will return to the wretched condition that existed only a short time ago. You may have heard the story of the lady who could nofc teach her parrot to say " Trilby," and who beat the poor bird because he would not pronounce the word ; next day this dear old lady was astonished to hear her parrot in the fowlyard saying with great gusto, " Say Trilby, you rascal," and there the parrot was beating the poor fowls to death. I am going to get the services of such a parrot if the medical officer is sacked, and then ■ let my neighbours with dirty fowlhouses look out.-! am, &c, CITIZEN.