SANITATION OF MASTERTON

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXX, Issue 14579, 2 June 1916, Page 2

SANITATION OF MASTERTON

MR ROBINSON'S MEETING

Yesterday afternoon about two hundred citizens assembled near ''The Academy" corner to hear an address by Mr IT. C. Robinson on matters connected with tho outbreak of infantile paralysis and tho sanitation of tho town.

Mr Robinson, who spoko from a motor cur, said: —The citizens of Mastorton to-d;iy arc facing a calamity. For God's sake let us , face it bravely and honestly, and also avert a greater calamity. Throughout tho Wairarapa all tho towns except Masterton and its environs arc clear of infantile paralysis, yet in Masterton and suburbs avo have dose on HO cases. We are going to bo reminded of this' timo to the- end of our days, not by the children who die, but by the children that survive, or, unless thismassage treatment does a great deal more than wo have any right to expect of it, many of the survivors Avill grow up cripples, and we will see thorn'wearily propelling themselves about our .streets in the future years". In view of the situation, authoritative enquity should be made as to what is necessary in order to make the town sanitary before the summer. The idea that by taking this course we harm the town is absurd. The statistics , are known, and Masterton has been publicly stated to be the worst place in New Zealand for infantile paralysis. An authoritative opinion, backed up by energetic action, is necessary if confidence is to be restored. I have been called an alarmist. My best answer to this is to put dearly before you the history of the proceedings. Before taking any part, I consulted an outside doctor. I then went to the soldiers' entertainmont meeting and opened up tho whole matter. I stated the iigures—l said the town was dirty, that the water tables and culverts were sources' of infection—that tho obligations as to drainage had been ignored in favour of the Hash Municipal Chambers buildings, that tho sanitary service in uudrained areas was defective, that the municipal administration bad failed, and that tho Government should step in and put the town right before tho spring. Tho wholo of my statements were pooh-poohed by tho Mayor, who said "Everything was being done that was required to be done." Then I asked the local doctors to state their opinion. That opinion bore me out very fully. Then the Council interviewed tlio doctors, and tried to bluff them. The doctors stuck to their nuns and told tho Council that the footpaths should be graded by a sanitary engineer, and that there is a grave danger of diphtheria and typhoid in the'summer; and then the 'Mayor, in face of all this', concluded the. meeting by saying, "There is no cause for alarm"." Then the six inspectors that he put on, after he had solemnly atlirnied that everything was being done, made their house-to-house inspection, and you all know what some of the closures of that inspection were. Now, under these circumstances, what is the wise and prudent and honourable thing to do? I say that we should ask for the best possible' investigation and abide by its roKult. This is what my motion amounts to. The danger, the ..-riive danger, is that the people may be lulled into' a false security by the fact that the councillors have at last been forced into some sort of action. Now [ ask you, assuming a man had been mismanaging his affairs for years' and ultimately failed, would you say, Now that he has actually failed we. can safely trust him again. That js the position with the Council; its administration has failed, and, as there is an incomparably more expeditious way of netting things' put .safe, than by first tsikliiir a poll and then setting out to raise a loan, i say that we should make an effort to get that plan adopted The Government has full power under Section 17 of the Public Health Act, 1908, to step in and protect the public by doing the work, and there are ample grounds to justify it because —1. Two drainage polls have been lost. 2 The doctors have given a most distinct warning of the urgency of the case. I*. Tho Borough administration has proved too weak in the past. Now i want to point out that it is the poor man that suffers most from neglect ot sanitation. The man with sonio means and larger grounds is better oft it he stops in the town, and he can move himself or his family if lie ho desires. The poor man .however, has to stick it out; yet it is the Labour I'arty who, by converting the Council into a political institution, have contributed to the position. This meeting has been called at a time when many men are at work. I did not know that tins Thursday was not a half-holiday. _ 1 want you to remember the working men who are, absent. Let me now interpose a word as to my action in interviewing the Minister for I'ublic Health. I. contend that as a private citizen I had the right if I so chose to ask tho Government of the. country to protect myself and my fellow citizens from expense, inconvenience, and danger resulting from laxity on tho part of the municipal authorities. 1 did not, however, at once take this course when the doctors' report was published. 1. felt justified in proceeding upon the as-suinption that the Mayor would recognise the gravity of the position and tiie full measure of his responsibility. I myself was certain, and 1 am more thaii over certain to-day, that to wait for a poll and the raising of loan would tend to unnecessary loss of life, and that the only course was to ask the Government to step in on the ground that tho Borough Council had failed to perform its functions; I saw, and I seeno escape from that position. I. felt, however, that there was much excuse, to be made for the Mayor, and I knew that his ability and knowledge of Borough affairs would be of great assistance. And so I. went to him and asked him to co-operate, and told him that if he did so I would make every effort to support him. He declined, and to my mind, he missed a great opportunity of doing a noble action. Only after the Mayor's refusal did I go to the Minister of Health. Tho Minister, of course, did not commit himself to any opinion. Equally, of course, I did not ask him to do so. All I asked was that I ho would enquire, and he said that if ho received a request from the people of Masterton so to do ho would enquire. I said what wo wanted was a sanitary engineer to report, and 1 suggested Mr Morton bo borrowed from the city of Wellington. The motion that 1 am now about to put is a request to the Minister to make such enquiry: Before putting tho motion I want to consider for a moment how the cost should be paid for. I myself cannot, in justice to my family, devote further time to public affairs. I do urge, however, that a portion of the cost should be borne out of the Trust ■funds." Mr Robinson then moved his motion asking tho Minister for Public Health to arrange for a sanitary engineer to visit Masterton and report upon the sanitation of tho town generally. Tho motion was carried unanimously, Councillor Kemp being tho only dissentient.