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Subsidies to Local Authohities towards Salaries of Sanitary Inspectors. For some time past it has been evident that a redistribution of the Sanitary Inspectors would make for greater efficiency and economy. At present we have no officer stationed north of Auckland. Owing to repeated small outbreaks of infectious disease on the west coast it has been necessary to send an officer from Auckland. This involves a considerable expense for locomotion and travelling-expenses. It is proposed to station an Inspector in or near Whangarei, and another at Thames. In this way the Auckland Health District will be fully equipped and the cost of administration lessened. An Inspector has been placed in charge of the Nelson District, and as soon as it is convenient I propose to station another on the west coast of the South Island. In no case is it proposed that these officers shall interfere with the function of the local authorities. Where local authorities arc desirous of availing themselves of the services of the departmental officers, either in part or in place of an officer of their own, it is proposed to ask that local authority to contribute such portion of the officer's salary as would be measured by the time given. I have notified the District Health Officers of your willingness to consider the question of subsidising the salaries of Sanitary Inspectors to local authorities whose size and population do not warrant their paying an adequate salary. I have informed them that in no case will subsidy be pai-d to any local authority -whose size is such as to require the whole time of a Sanitary Inspector, nor in any case shall the subsidy be more than £30 per annum. That preventive medicine is taking its proper place in the estimation of the medical profession as well as the general public is evidenced by the greater interest which is being taken in purely sanitary matters. Speaking at Preston recently Sir Frederick Treves, the celebrated surgeon, said lie felt safe in the prophecy that the time would come when hospitals for infectious diseases would to empty and not wanted. Very little, however, could be done by the Legislature, but everything by the progress of medical science and the intelligence of the people "and the interest they took in it Men and women must recognise the saying that '" Every one must eat a peck of dirt before he dies " was erroneous, and see that dirt was undesirable. Preventive medicine was founded vipon hard facts, prudence, and common-sense. The mystery of the ancient doctor, his use of long names, and his extraordinary prescriptions were passing away. The multitude of shelves full of bottles which surrounded the doctor was also passing away, ar.d being replaced by simple living, suitable diet, plenty of sun, and plenty of fresh air. The tight of the present day was against millions of microbes, and the weapons were the sanitary regulations of municipal government, the sanitary inspector, and the medical officer of health. Tubercle at this moment was killing fifty thousand per annum, not one of whom need die, for the disease was preventable. It could not be dealt with by physic, but by fresh air, sunlight, and suchlike. Consumption and similar diseases could be cured by very simple methods, which would be efficacious as soon as the education of the people on matters of this kind was complete. These methods were notification of diseases, isolation, disinfection, and, lastly, preventive or protective treatment. He looked forward to the time when people would leave off the extraordinary habit of taking medicine when they were sick. Referring to the discoveries of bacteriological science and to the great results which had been achieved in the reduction of mortality from infectious disease, he said he looked forward to the time when it would be as anomalous for persons to die of scarlet fever, iyphoid, cholera, and diphtheria as it would be for a man to die of a wolf's bite in England. This good time can only come when every citizen takes a hand in the game. I am pleased to say that the relationship between the Department and the local authorities is of the most cordial nature, and it says a great deal for the tact of the Health officials that this is so. More important to my mind, however, is the fact that the public has come to look upon the Department's officers as the final court of appeal on all otherwise unsolvable matters of sanitation. Not now do we direct —we are consulted. Vaccination. Once more I draw attention to the lamentable disregard of the law relating to vaccination. The introduction of the so-called conscientious clause into the English Act in 1897 made it difficult for the believers in the efficiency of vaccination to insist on its being made compulsory under " The Public Health Act, 1900." To grant a certificate of exemption because a parent simply states that he conscientiously believes that to vaccinate his child would be to injure it is practically to leave the matter in the hands of the parent entirely. He may know nothing about the question —that matters not. He is not required to show even an intelligent appreciation of the pros and cons of the position. He has simply to say before a Magistrate, " I believe it will injure my child," and the child troes unprotected. The law has made that parent's path easy enough, one would think; but no,

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