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BITON NEWS, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY
the medical officer's annual report.
Councillor Lambert next moved, "That for the
future the reports of the medical officer of health
be placed in the hands of each member of the
corporation at least twenty-one days before they
are presented to the council ; and that such
reports be considered by each committee before
submission to the council." He said he was persuaded
to move the motion on account of the
glaring impropriety of sending round the last
report of the medical officer in the middle of a
council meeting, when it was utterly impossible for
any member to read it, and then to assume that
the council acquiesced in all that it contained. If
they were a business council they ought to conduct
their affairs in a business-like way. And since
he determined to bring forward the motion his
action, he thought, had been rendered doubly
necessary by what occurred at the last meeting of
the council. It seemed to him that the council
were placed in a singularly ambiguous position.
The council in committee proceeded to negative a
certain resolution, which it was not his intention
to refer to more definitely just then, and on meeting
in open council it agreed to the minutes of a
committee which contained the same resolution.
It placed the council in a very odd position, which
he attributed to the extraordinary action of handing
round a report in the middle of a meeting.
Councillor Davison seconded, and criticised in
severe terms certain remarks contained in the
medical officer's last annual report. Dr. Collins
said the roads were mostly of gravel and flint,
with comparatively little traffic, and during the
winter months were in a damp and muddy state
owing to the great amount of moisture in the
Thames valley. The facts were that there were
20 roads of granite, 113 of flint, nine of granite
and flint, nine partially of granite, and three of
concrete. As to "comparatively little traffic,"
returns made some years ago showed that there
was a great deal, and he entirely denied that the
roads were in a damp and muddy state during the
winter. (Laughter.) Dr. Collins next said that
the roads were in many places the playground of
children, and their condition was a matter of great
inconvenience to pedestrians and bicyclists. The
council had at much expense provided several
excellent playgrounds for the children, and if
they played in the street it was not the fault of
the council. The place for pedestrians was on the
footpath, and he defied Dr. Collins to match any
town in Surrey with Kingston so far as paths
were concerned. Then Dr. Collins suggested the
trial of Professor Spink's plan of combining hot
tar—(laughter)—with macadam to secure a cleanly
road. If they did that it seemed to him that they
would be making a huge skating rink of the whole
place. The medical officer further said that
"damp roads must greatly increase the amount of
moisture in the air, and this moisture is one of
the chief drawbacks to a residence in the Thames
valley." All the medical officers in the world
could not alter the geographical position of Kingston
; accordingly there they must remain. But
he denied that the roads added to the moisture of
the Thames valley, for the public highways were
drier and harder than any other uncovered portion
of the valley. Therefore, more roads less
moisture. He was told that the medical officer
did not intend to refer to the principal thoroughfares
of the borough but only to the byeways.
Councillor Glover, interrupting: Can I rise to a
point of order ?
The Mayor : Councillor Davison is quite right,
for he is speaking to the motion and giving reasons
why it should be passed.
Councillor Glover: It is going a long way
round then. (Laughter.)