MELBOURNE NOTES.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 328, 23 July 1889, Page 3

MELBOURNE NOTES.

[JilOil OUR OWN COBBESrOXUKNr.J BsrhnE Pailiment met the Government lot is be generally known that one of their principal measures—if not the measure of the session—was to bo a Bill relating to pub’io health. Furthermore, Mr Gillies said that the subject was deemed of such importance, and ha spoke the truth, that the Government would cither carry their Bill or fall upon the ruins. Thera can be no doubt about the necessity'for the measure, with or without slight modifications, and the sincerity of the promise that has been made by the Goverment seems about to be put-to the test. The Bill is intended to effect a too sweeping reform, and too closely touches vested interests—-often only another name for crying abuses— not to have provoked a storm of protest from the municipalities. If they cannot agree in anything else, they have shown considerable alertness in laying aside all other differences, and in agreeing to defend tooth and nail their precious rights and privileges. The alarm was sounded by the greatest sinner of them all, bee cuse the most influential, and representatives from some forty municipalities obeyed the summons of the Melbourne City Council, and met to air their grievances in the Town Hall last Friday. Of course, it was the old, old story. Forgetting that they had been tried in the balance and found wanting—oblivious of the fact that years of blundering, bungling, and misrule have tried the public pat euee beyond further endurance —they condemn the provisions of the bill 41 as unjust towards the municipal bodies, unsuitable to the requirements of the ratepayers,” and likely to mystify the public as to the precise effect of the sanitary laws. The proposal to abolish the Central and Local Boards of Health, and

place the public health ia the hands of a department, the head of which shall be directly responsible to Parliament, does not suit them either. Because, they say, it is not in harmony with the principle of selfgovernment. Finally, they ask tho Government to withdraw the Bill, tinker up the old one, and give them a fresh lease for the further prolongation of misrule, and the propagation of disease and other abominations. The answer to these municipal nonentities ie very simple. The health of the public has been placed for too long a time in the hands oi the civic authorities. Typhoid fever, diptheria and other maladies are on the increase, and hitherto the municipalities have done nothing to check them. On the contrary, the public health has been shamefully neglected by them. Men are anxious enough to become town councillors. The position aids, or is supposed to add, to the dignity of a citizen, who, in many Oases, would have little claim jto consideration without it. It may also be a source—director indirect—of profit. But once in the Council, the work of the majority of them lie done. The filth, pestilence and death which , lurk in the gutters, hide in hack premises, infest badly built, urtdrained, unwholesome tenements that jostle each other upon subdivided and re-subdivided allotments, are left to work havoc amongst humanity unchecked ; whilst every suburban "city" must expend vast sums upon the erection of its own Town Hal), which shall rival in costliness and folly the Town Had of another city lying across the street. There has been a very general demand among the people for a radical reform in these respects, and the time has now arrived for a trial of strength. These 40 municipal bodies have banded themselves together, and they intend to bring pressure to bear upon members of Parliament to help them to perpetuate the present system; and the government will need all the support that can be given them, both inside and outside the House, if they are to cleanse and render habitable the filthy streets and swamps which He in and around Melbourne.