65

H.—3l

Action taken under the Midwives Act. Owing to their having been in attendance upon midwifery cases where puerperal septicaemia has supervened, I have issued eleven orders of suspension from attendance upon other cases for a period of one month. Buildings condemned as Insanitary or ordered to be Improved. Auckland. Portion of stable, premises occupied as living-place by man, wife, and child, ordered not to be so occupied. No. 38, Vincent Street : Outbuilding ordered to be renewed. No. 236, Karangahape Road: Alterations to outbuildings ordered. Cook Street: Whole street of houses demolished. Sheds on wharf: Flooring, &c, removed and renewed. Fish-market: Demolition. Boardinghouse, Wyndham Street : Eventually demolished. 33 College Hill: Extensive repairs. Fish-curing establishment: Condemned and demolished. Pickle-factory, Freeman's Bay : Vacated under alternative of condemnation. Shirt-factory, Chancery Street: The same. Butcher's shop, Symonds Street: Condemned, and re-erected in brick. Baker Street: Structural improvements ordered. 42 Alexandra Street: Stable; case contested, and taken by City Council before Magistrate; demolition. Shed, &c, Hobson Street: Demolished. Part of 186 Victoria Street: Condemned; whole area renovated. Shed at rear of 26, Sale Street: Removed. Old dwellinghouse, 154 Victoria Street: Removed. 17 Baker Street: Structural alterations. Restaurant, Durham Street: Demolished on a three-weeks' notice. Corner Middle and Spring Streets: Structural alterations. Newmarket. Lean-to, Manukau Road : Demolished. Old shed and privy : Demolished. Stable: Demolished. Shed: Demolished. Stables: Eventually rebuilt after requisition for improvement. Two shops in main street rebuilt by agreement with owner. Mount Albert. House, Elizabeth Street: Ordered to be vacated until locality was sufficiently drained to allow reoccupation. The Road Board refused building-permits over a considerable area at one time under water. Mount Eden. House, Mount Eden Road : Generally insanitary, and, after infection by tubercle, demolished. In addition to the foregoing, substantial repairs and improvements have been effected to numerous properties where the circumstances did not appear to warrant actual demolition. This applies to residences, stables, outbuildings, restaurants, shops, and factories, as well as to lodginghouses, in respect to which I have hesitated to take extreme measures owing to the danger attending casting the inmates upon the streets. Legislation to deal with common lodging-houses is much needed. At the present time the regulations are evaded by the inmates being weekly tenants. Some of the matters referred to have been effected in conjunction with the Inspector of Factories, with whom I have made frequent inspection of shops and factories, and have paid much attention to their location, construction, sanitary arrangement, and ventilation. Several cases of overcrowding have been dealt with by declaring the existence of a nuisance arising therefrom. In all cases the condemnatory notices have been carried out on the order of the local authority. In only one case was it necessary to have resort to the Police Court in order to carry out the demolition. As to the effects of occupation, with the exception of a few cases of miners' phthisis on the goldfields, I have not come across any diseases due to occupation. Not so, lack of it. Whilst a certain section of the community has earned leisure by a life of labour, a, smaller section has not yet begun to do so. A few of those occasionally go in for an open-air lodging in the parks. The opening of Bell's Island as a retreat for inebriates has removed a few who were victims to alcoholism. A course of work would improve both classes. There has not been found, fortunately, any demand for sandwichmen in Auckland since exception was taken to this degrading kind of employment.

9—H. 31.