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Should you desire any further information in reference to this matter, I shall only be too happy to afford it to you. I haye, &c, Benjamin Tatloe, The Chairman, Central Board of Health, Dunedin. Mayor. Mr. A. T. Thomson, Clyde, to His Worship the Matoe, Clyde. Sib,— Clyde, 2nd December, 1874. By desire of your "Worship I made a general inspection of the township of Clyde, and have arrived at the following conclusions, viz.:— 1. That the township is at present healthy, as far as infectious or contagious diseases are concerned. There have been, and there are still, a few cases of colds, resulting from the very changeable weather—some of these of a croupy tendency. The epidemic of which I spoke in my letter to you has now quite disappeared. 2. That, although at present healthy, the township may at any moment assume an unhealthy nature, more especially if there should be any heavy rains, owing to a quantity of stable manure which is heaped up at the rear of premises; and especial attention is directed to a large quantity of such manure lying between Mr. Fache's residence and the Chinaman's garden (Kai Noon), intermixed with other refuse matter, as well as with carcases of animals and fowls. 3. Behind the Chinese store, a quantity of refuse has been deposited which ought to have been deposited in the usual depot, such deposits having a tendency to breed infection. 4. That the race at the back of the township is in anything but a clean condition ; and, as a considerable quantity of the water from the said race is used for domestic purposes, attention is therefore specially directed to its condition, as infectious and contagious diseases spread more rapidly and surely by this means (unclean water). 5. As a whole the township is clean, but could be more so if all deposits which are now lying about were removed to the proper place ; and all piggeries should be removed without the township, also skins of slaughtered animals, and other offals. 6. That a great deal of dirt and filth would be prevented from entering the race, if ducks and geese were prohibited from being reared in the township—at any rate—from being allowed to pollute the water. 7. The subsoil is well fitted for drainage, and as long as the surface is kept free from decomposing matter percolation will still continue to go on, and as long as such is the case we may depend on the good health of the town, but not otherwise. Should you desire any other information, not herein contained, I shall be happy to afford it to you. I have, <fee, His Worship the Mayor, Clyde. A. T. Thomson. The Inspectoe of Nuisances, Clyde, to His Worship the Matoe, Clyde. Sib,— Clyde, 27th October, 1874. In compliance with your request, I have the honor to submit for your information a report upon the sanitary condition of this town. The first object for consideration being, in my opinion, the water supply available for drinking and domestic purposes, I have the honor to state that water is brought into town from a race heading from Waikeirekeire Creek, which, flowing down on either side of the main street, amply supplies the town for all domestic purposes, and has in addition a most beneficial effect upon the atmosphere in the dry summer season, and the inhabitants utilize it in watering the streets and the fronts of their premises. This water is quite good enough for domestic purposes, though on some occasions it becomes foul by miners pouring their tail race-water into it, and this practice I now take the liberty of calling attention to, with a view to the discontinuance of such unlawful proceeding. Water for drinking is obtainable from two sources —namely, rain water collected in tanks, &c, with which nearly every house is supplied, and from springs near the river brink : this water is of the purest description so far as one can judge without analysis ; it is at all times cold and perfectly limpid. I am aware that some are of opinion that being so much below the town, that fears are entertained that it may receive pollution from cesspools, stable dung, &c.; but, in my opinion, these fears are groundless, as the filtration that must take place through the gravel bed, and the nature of the strata it has to pass through before such drainage would reach the spring water. The next point for consideration is the water-closets. I acknowledge that in certain conditions I would be in favour of the earth form of closet, but I am afraid the practice would not work well, as it would be impossible to keep up such a strict inspection as would insure cleanliness in their use ; people would neglect them after they were first introduced, and then the nuisance would become worse than ever. So that I would recommend a continuance of the cesspool system for this reason : that the nature of the soil is in itself a preventive, it being so porous that the fluid element is at once absorbed, and nothing remains but innocuous matter, provided always that the cesspools are properly emptied at regular intervals. There are four piggeries in Clyde, and, although they are kept clean, I would still recommend their being removed altogether, or to such a distance as would insure no baleful influence. There are two licensed slaughter yards in Clyde : this necessity is so acknowledged that I feel reluctant to recommend their removal to a distance, and, besides, I am bound to add that they have been kept remarkably clean as far as possible ; but it should be made an express stipulation for their maintenance that no skins should, on any account, be permitted to accumulate.