Health of Sumner.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20485, 11 December 1934, Page 6

Health of Sumner.

Charges Refuted

Milk Alone Caused Sickness.

that he was tired of being blamed as an individual for the actions of the council as a whole, the Mayor of Sumner (Mr W. H. Nicholson) said at a special meeting of the Borough Council last night that he had called the meeting to discuss the desirability of making public a statement regarding the health of the borough and to refute charges that the recent cases of sickness were due to an imperfect water supply. There was a full attendance of councillors. The Mayor said that the reason for the meeting was that Dr R. F. Bakewell suggested the desirability of publishing a reassuring statement to the public to counteract the statements made alleging an imperfect water supply. Councillor Tait: Have there been any other complaints? The Mayor: Only one, and that was about tap water being milky. Councillor Kennett: They get the same thing in Christchurch. The Mayor: Yes, and if you put a glass under Niagara Falls you get the same thing. Councillor Oldridge: That’s caused by aeration. The Mayor: One complaint concerned the appearance of a scum on the w*ater when lemon juice was mixed with it, but the Health Department stated that this was the action of one acid on another and was in no way harmful. Councillor Tait: There is no foundation for the statement then that the water supply was the cause of the sickness. The Mayor: The doctor was quite definite that the trouble was due to one source ot supply of milk obtained outside Sumner. The Health Department had traced it to its source and had taken steps to have the cows treated. The department acted as soon as the sickness was made known. Since then there have been no fresh cases with the exception of one resident who ■had also been supplied with milk from the same source. Councillor Tait: I have a note here in front of me from a town doctor who had treated children from the borough, and this note .states that the trouble is entirely due to milk. “ One of the Victims.” Mr Allen: As one of the victims I can say definitely that I drank plenty of water and that had nothing to do with my illness. In fact, it had something to do with my recovery. The Mayor: An explanation is due to the public. Had I read these letters I would have thought twice about bringing my children into the borough. The council’s duty is to straighten out any misconceptions and it is due to those who have been ill. and to those who will be visiting the borough. Councillor Ilolden moved and Councillor Allen seconded that the following statement be approved:— “ Water Supply—The council states that the question raised by a newspaper correspondent regarding the water supply of the borough has been dealt with by the council and the staff at successive meetings of the council covering the period from October 10, 1934 (the date of the first complaint), to the date of the last meeting (November 26), and that at each meeting the resolutions adopted in connection with the matter were the result of a full and careful consideration by the council. In every case these resolution*; were moved by councillors and not by the Mayor. Any ratepayer desirous of obtaining further information may inspect the minutes of the council covering the matter referred to. The Works and Water Committee is a committee of the whole of the council, the object being to ensure a full knowledge by all members at the table of any question raised at meetings of the council. “ Public Health Regarding certain throat trouble and gastro-enteritis, the council has been credibly informed that the source of infection was found to be from a dairy outside the borough and that since the Health Department visited the dairy and had taken certain action in connection with the milk supplied from it, no further cases have occurred. The resident medical practitioner, who has attended the bulk of the cases due to this cause, definitely states that there is no justification for apprehension on the part of the public with respect to any infectious disease within the borough.”