BOROUGH SANITATION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2506, 20 May 1909, Page 3

BOROUGH SANITATION.

HEALTH INSPECTOR’S REPORT

Some time ago a house-to-house inspection of the borough was made by officers of the Health Department, and the first instalment of Chief Inspector Scbauer’s report, which came to hand recently, has been already dealt with by the Sanitary Committee of the Borough Council. The portion of the borough reported on in the first instalment forwarded is that which is bounded by Read’s Quay and Peel Street, from Childers Road to tho sea. The area comprises many old and dilapidated buildings, and the report recommends that many of them be condemned as unfit for habitation. The following arc a few extracts from the report, which will be of interest, and possibly guidance, to householders and owners of property. The first place in a very bad condition dealt with is only three blocks from the post office, a boarding house that the inspector describes as one of the dirtiest and most insanitary premises it has been his lot to inspect. Drainage is conducted to a soak pit that was full and backed up the drain. The whole of the waste water flowed -under the bathroom, and at the time of the Inspector’s visit there was four inches depth of foul liquid beneath tho floor. The occupant was quite aware of this fact, and calmly informed the Inspectors'that the cesspool had been overflowing for about a month, and he had 'not- taken any steps to abate what was a very serious and dangerous nuisance. Waste vegetable matter, potato peelings, carrot tops, etc., wore being dumped over the fence on to an adjoining vacant section. Kitchen waste was simply tipped on to the ground m what was originally a vegetable garden, but now a poultry run and goneial refuse depot. There are two privies m the fowl run, one for each sex, without guard to ensure privacy, temps are disposed of by emptying same on the poultry run. Inspector Schauei s ior commendations comprise the emptying and carting away of the contents ot the soak pit, cleansing and dismfectino- beneath the bathroom and washhouse, digging into the garden of waste water and proper enclosure of poultry. All of these the occupier undertook to effect immediately. . . Another boarding house, containing 17 persons, was found to have unti.ippoci unventilated, and leaky bath -waste pipes, whilst the outside premises,wore the subject of important recommendations. The roof leaks, two rooms in the attic are without any means Oi fire escape, and there are unhung sashes and a 2ft wid« staircase the tread of which is worm-eaten and unA vacant section fronting Nesbit road is described as trodden quite bare ot vegetation and into a quagmire by horses. The insanitary condition caused by the horses is a serious nuisance to people in the t icinity, U whom many bitter complaints file made. Tho removal of ton matter, grading and filling in of hollows \ itli shingle’ is recommended. A number of four-loomed cotta*-.* were found to contain two families each. One of these was occupied bv a man. his wife, and four children, whose ages ran "a from H years to 10 years, who occupy only the two back rooms, each containing approximate:} 1-00 rA’c feet of air space, less than bat up by tlie furniture. r J be r.-iu of the cottage is 14s 6d per week, and the two front rooms are sub-let at os p(i week each, furnished. 1 his ho.se is undoubtedly overcrowded. M*c wi <~c of tbe family of two adults and iO-U children sleep in one room, containn.g 1200 cubic feet of air space each besides being overcrowded the back voi m was dirty, and there was c- deuce of food having been prepared and tal-on in the bedroom. The. Inspector recommends the tenant being notified to discontinue sub-lotting tlm front rooms. Special attention has been oar.) to tbe police station and gaol buildings, the insanitary condition of winch has repeatediv been referred to. After recommending several improvements^to the outside premises, the report ados.: “The kitchen, where all prison tcod is prepared and cooked, measures or.lv 15ft by 9ft and 7ft 6m high. .It contains only 1012.5 cubic feet of air space, the only means of ventilation doing a window" 4ft by 2ft. There is no scullery and no sink. Thc house s \ci old and .low on the ground. Ihe root leaks badlv in several places, and most of the* harm- and covering boards -as well as the back door tread are rode n. There is also an old unused brick-unod. cesspool, a receptacle for sewage winch is within three feet of the front ol tbe. o-ao’er’s residence. ’ . . , , " A dwelling in Pitt Street is declared to be very o’d and dilapidated, and toe j Inspector urges its condemnation as unfit for human habitation, the <-<.lk<tion of refuse in the back yard o be removed to the borough depot. An unoccupied cottage in Customhouse Street is said to be unfit for babiI tition, and should be de mol. sued; otherwise removal of all decayed n Tier, .rubbish, etc,, and thorough renovation A wharc occupied by a Onuie.,e gardener, is Massed in the same sclioflUA ’lodging house in Kahutia S'roct, «-;.th a full complement of H boarder*, requires new and additional privy accommodation, tbe existing convenience being filthy. About 100 bead of poultry were enclosed in a small > aid ad iomine tbe washhouse and, which should in the case of privies, stables lubbisli receptacles, trapping and ventilation of drain pipes into soak pits, and the whole report clearly shows in what an insanitary condition at least the part of + lie Iroroimh dealt with is. \ fnrtlier Jnstalnic.it of the report' is expected at an early date.