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H.—3l

Hastings Borough (Population, 3,650). This is a very scattered town, covering an area of nearly 6,000 acres. It is situated on the Heretaunga Plains, and the whole town is very flat, and is only about 12 ft. above sea-level. There are very few old or dilapidated houses here, and most of the buildings are comparatively new with up-to-date conveniences, some of the residences being handsome and well planned. There is no overcrowding of houses even in the business and congested portion of the borough. There is weekly removal of nightsoil and refuse. The nightsoil is removed in single open pans, and emptied into the sewers. The more sanitary method of collecting the filth in double-lidded pans has been brought before the local authority, but has not yet found favour. I shall not let the matter rest, and mean to have double-lidded pans over the whole of my district where the night-cart is in evidence. A sewerage scheme was constructed about twenty years ago, but full advantage has not been taken by those capable of connecting, and only a few houses have water-closets. The Borough Council contemplate raising another loan shortly for the purpose of extending the drainage to other portions of the borough that have been built over since the original scheme has been designed and executed. This work is much ueeded, and I hope to see it put in hand in the Some of the residents on the outskirts of the borough have had septic tanks installed on their premises from plans supplied by the Department, and we have supervised their construction and the laying of the drains. The water-supply is an individual one from artesian wells. As the wells in time of drought do not rise high enough to permit of the universal introduction of water-closets, I hope to see some pumping scheme introduced to supply the town with water from a high-pressure source for this and other purposes. If this presents an insuperable difficulty, the introduction of " combination closet" would be advantageous in this town. Water carriage is the most satisfactory method of dealing with sewage of all descriptions, and when the sewers are extended in Hastings I hope to see the use of the night-cart very much contracted. Many of the houses discharge their slops into Field's annular flushing-tanks, which were introduced on the recommendation of the engineer who designed the drainage scheme (Mr. Rochefort, of Napier), and this, combined with the fact that the overflow from the artesian wells discharged into the sewers, renders the Hastings sewers amongst the best-flushed and cleanest to be found anywhere. - I regret to say that many of the stables in Hastings are not connected with the sewers. I have already pointed this out to the Borough Council. It will have to be remedied, and will receive my earnest attention very shortly. As in Napier, the carriage of foodstuffs needs attention. The milk is here baled out at the customers' doors, to the detriment of that sensitive article of food and its possible contamination. I have pointed the matter out in my report to the Borough Council, but as yet nothing has been done. In every other portion of my district the milk is drawn from the cans by means of taps. It is much to be regretted that the two largest and most important towns in Hawke's Bay should adhere to the old-fashioned and insanitary practice of baling. Kaikora North (Population, 268). The local body is the Kaikora Town Board. This township is healthily situated. The houses are scattered and comparatively new. There are no old, insanitary, or dilapidated houses in the township. There is no common system of nightsoil-removal, and no public water-supply. Waipawa (Population, 669). The local body is the Waipawa Town Board. There is weekly removal of nightsoil and refuse. The nightsoil is removed in single open pans. There is a sewerage system for kitchen and bed-room slops, but several houses that might have taken advantage have not done so, and remain undrained. The contents of the sewers are collected in a box drain and carried out on to the shingle-bed at the back of the town. The smell at the outlet was offensive to passers-by, but with judicious trenching, on the recommendation of Dr. Finch, the nuisance has been to a great extent abated. There is no public water-supply, but water could be obtained from the river by pumping at a moderate cost. There are several old and dilapidated houses in Waipawa that need attention, and more advantage will have to be taken of the drains in the future than has been in the past. I have effected some reforms in these matters, and intend dealing with other places which are in need of improvement. On my recommendation the removal of nightsoil has been extended to the Bush Township on the outskirts of Waipawa. Waipukurau (Population, 565). The local body is the Waipukurau Road Board. Weekly removal of nightsoil in single open pans. Partial-sewerage system for kitchen and bed-room slops. No public water-supply. The drains are in many cases badly laid. The local body favourably entertained my recommendation of double-lidded pans for the removal of nightsoil, but the matter is hung up for the present, as the local body had, and still has, in contemplation the introduction of a public water-supply and improved-drainage scheme, providing for the water carriage of sewage. There has been some delay in this, for which the Board is not wholly responsible, and, of course, sanitation, here as elsewhere, "moves but slowly, slowly passing on from point to point." c'faWThere were some insanitary houses in the main street that were adversely reported on by me in 1900, subsequently by Dr. Valintine in 1901, and, when acting as my locum tenens, by Dr. Finch in 1902, that I have had demolished since I took over my duties.