View report page

7
With this report I submit tables furnished by the Local Government
Board, which tables give the mortality and sickness returns for
the year.
Work done in the Sanitary Department:—
Overcrowding.—Two cases reported, and remedied.
Sewage Disposal.—Sewage was treated with Ferrozone and filtered
through Polarite. In the course of the year experiments have been
tried to produce a more satisfactory effluent, but so far the Council
have not been successful. This matter is receiving attention.
Disinfection.—Clothing, bedding, &c., disinfected by steam, rooms
stored with formation.
House Accommodation.—This is sufficient for the needs of the
locality. 43 plans for new houses passed during the year.
Water Supply.—This is hardly sufficient for the wants of the
district. Several new schemes have been under consideration, but
nothing definite is yet decided. The hardness of one source continues
to be a subject of complaint.
Scavenging.—This has been carried out in a satisfactory manner.
438 pails and ash tubs are emptied weekly. 94 loads of refuse are
carted away per week. Some method of storage or destruction of this
material will have to be adopted, as the quantity is becoming too large
for utilization on the land at Red Moss.
Lodging Houses.—Four registered. Day inspections are made
once a month, night inspections twice a quarter. They have been
found clean and with satisfactory accommodation.
Bakehouses.—Inspected every month. Found in good condition.
Slaughter Houses.—As stated in last report, they are satisfactory
considering the fact that we have no public abbatoir. They are
inspected twice a month.
Dairies, Cowsheds, and Milkshops.—These are regularly inspected.
Some are becoming dilapidated, and require attention to
drainage. In one case it was found that only about 250 cubic feet of
air space per cow was allowed.
Nuisances.—60 notices served. 58 remedied. No legal proceedings
were taken.
Unwholesome Food.—One carcase of a cow was condemned and
destroyed.
Smoke.—Many complaints; six observations recorded; no time
limit is fixed ; no legal proceedings taken. There is no doubt whatever
that the adoption of some practical method that will abate the
smoke nuisance will greatly add to the health of the district, as well as
to the general comfort and cleanliness. There are plans by which the
nuisance can be greatly lessened, by condensing the soot, which would
make the smoke lighter, and cause it to rise instead of settling towards
the ground. I again draw the attention of the Council to the recommendations
in my Annual Report for 1896. The one referring to disinfection
is acted upon, but the others have not yet received the amount
of attention which they require and deserve.
Concluding Observations.—The mortality for the year is low, the