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22
the Public Health Department has insisted on the bye-laws
being observed, especially with regard to placing concrete
under drains, while it is acknowledged that this has not
been done by the Surveyor's Department. That also, it
was contended that this all happened years ago and that
recent conditions were different. What alterations had
there been in recent years to vary the conditions existing
when the drains were laid That there is a bye-law with
regard to trapping of waste pipes, there appears to be
considerable variation with regard to its enforcement. Also,
too, I drew attention to the incorrect condition of the
deposited plans and other matters.
To remedy this condition of things I recommended that
the supervision of the drainage of new buildings be
transferred to the Public Health Department, so that the
control of all this work should be under the supervision of
the one Department of the Council which had proved its
capacity for dealing with it. In conclusion, I asked the
Council to refer this report to the Investigation Committee
for consideration.
The Council considered this report in Committee at that
meeting and decided to take "no action."
In view of this decision, I wrote a letter to the Clerk
of the Council, asking him to ask the Investigation
Committee to excuse my attendance as I could see no
useful purpose by my presence. It seemed to me, as my
idea in asking for that Committee was to promote future
good working, that unless this drainage matter was settled
it was hopeless to expect my being able to carry out my
duties properly. So that during the past year the friction
has reached a climax necessitating correspondence with the
Local Government Board, and placing with them the
position as regards the Public Health Administration in this
district.