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and the main object, the improvement of the public health, being liable to be defeated by lack of attention to details, or trying to economize in the expense of supervision. New Plymouth. —Inspector Feilder made a detailed report on Mangotuka Stream. The extension of the drainage system is the only way to improve matters. Patea. —A water-supply is to be installed, the water being obtained from an artesian, well. Waverley. —Owing to faulty construction, the dam for the water-supply burst. The watersupply scheme has therefore been delayed. The poll for the drainage scheme was defeated by 8 votes. Wanganui.- -The outlets of the sewers are being improved by being carried out to low-water mark. The whole of the Aramoho district is now sewered, and Durie Hill is now being attended to. The rubbish-removal service is being improved, but will not be satisfactory until the Borough Council do the work themselves, and charge the cost to the rates instead of charging individuals. Gonville. —Good progress is being made, with the extension of the drainage scheme. As in the case of Petone, this work has been carried out under considerable difficulties in the way of shifting sand and subsoil water. Mangaweka. —The work of connecting to the sewers is now in progress. Taihape. —A sewerage system has been installed, but, as is often the case, property-owners have not in many cases connected their premises to the sewer. The Borough Council has compelled a few individuals to connect in cases where their attention has been drawn to the special need of it, but has not enforced connections as a routine practice, which obviously should be done. Marlon. —The water-supply has on several occasions been unsatisfactory. Analysis shows that the filtered water is sometimes little, if any, better than the unfiltercd. This is probably due to the Bell filter not being used in the proper manner. Investigations are now being made to see if more scientific use can be made of this filter. Feilding. —The Department has approved, under the provisions of section 66, of the, expenditure of £1,200 on the extension of the sewerage system. The District Health Officer, Christchurch, reports : — Christchurch. —The City of Christchurch has been enlarged by including the district eif North Richmond, formerly part of the Waimairi County, and it has been found necessary, as this is outside the Drainage Board's area, to recommend the City Council to adopt special by-laws for that area. The water-supply of the city has been increased by the sinking of additional wells. Great improvements have taken place in the general condition of the city during the past year. It would seem desirable from a sanitary point of view if the boundaries of the city were still further increased to include Opawa anel the, small boroughs adjoining the present boundary of the city. Heathmte County. —A drainage scheme has been installed in the, Cashmere Riding, dealing'with the sewerage from the Hills suburb of Christchurch. Owing to the, hilly nature eif the, district is was necessary to divide this into two separate systems, each of which discharged through a septic tank and filter-beds on the banks of the Heathcote River. The scheme has not yet been sufficiently long in operation to judge whether the system of disposal will be satisfactory or otherwise. Lyttelton. —Improvements have been made in the stabling-accommodation in the town by the erection of new brick stables with up-to-date stabling and proper manure-receptacles. The water-supply has been improved so as to secure an efficient service to houses on the higher levels. Complaint was made on two or three eiccasions of the dumping of spiteions into the harbour from the passengers' cabins of the ferry-steamers, but since action has been taken in this matter the trouble has ceased. Considerable pollution unavoidably takes place by the discharge from the sanitary conveniences of the vessels in the harbour into the comparatively confined area of the harbour, where there is no current to take the matter out to sea. A small sewer from the town also continues to elischarge into this harbour. New Brighton Borough. Public conveniences, which were badly needed, have been erected. Some trouble was caused by the elefective state of the side channels, but these are now being put into proper order, they having been defectively laid in the first instance, and many of the culverts being not of sufficient size to carry away the waste water which is permitted to discharge therein for want of better moans of disposal. It will be necessary for this borough to soon consider the question of a proper drainage system. Rangiora Borough. The saleyards, which are situated in the business portion eif the town, became a nuisance during the winter months, from want of being properly paved and drained. After considerable correspondence and discussion, the Saleyards Company are now taking the matter in hand of providing proper paving anel drainage. Owing to insufficient water-supply for the flushing of side channels these became very offensive. The; Borough Council are now considering means to provide sufficient water for this purpose. I have also recommended the Borough Council to consider the question of a proper public water-supply. Sumner. —A destructor has been erected to deal with the refuse of the borough. It is intended as soon as possible to carry out an extension of the sewerage system, and include a pumping plant to enable the effluent to discharge at Sumner Head. Considerable nuisance was caused by the sewerage being washed on to the foreshore, but this was found to be due, to the discharge of public conveniences into the effluent-pipe of the septic tank. Neeellcss to say, action was taken to cut off this connection. At low water the end of the present effluent-pipe is exposed, and has been the cause of considerable complaints from residents at the south-eastern end of the borough. The Borough Council has been recommended to extend the present outfall into deeper water, as it will necessarily be some two or three j r ears before the proposed new system can be put into operation.