H.—3l

8

has been given the power of a District Health Officer. The services of this officer, who is preeminently qualified to deal with the special health problems of the Maori, have already proved of great value to the Department. The following extracts from the reports of District Health Officers dealing with sanitary conditions among the Maoris are quoted as being of interest: — Auckland. " Improvements are noticeable in the general sanitation of Native settlements, due no doubt to the fact that we have more district nurses working among them. The interest shown by the newly appointed Medical Officer to Maoris, especially in the reforming of the Maori Councils and health matters generally, has done a great deal of good, and the results are that—(l) Medical and nursing assistance is more readily sought in cases of illness, which are more quickly notified; (2) on the whole more attempts are made to secure better housing and sanitary conditions; (3) except in the Waikato district, the notification of births and deaths is being better attended to, the nurses being instructed to constantly urge this matter upon the Maoris, the numbers of each occurring in their districts appearing in the nurses' monthly reports. It would be greatly to the betterment of the Maoris themselves if the Registration Act could be as rigidly enforced among them as among Europeans. ' The revival of the Maori Councils as Health Councils, and the appointment of more nurses and sanitary inspectors, should greatly assist in securing better health and sanitary conditions among the Natives. There have been three resignations of district nurses during the year, and fresh appointments to replace them, the chief difficulty in tin's work being that of securing suitable living-quarters for the nurses; but this is being steadily overcome by the recent locality allowances granted." Na.pier. " The Maori has become so very much a pakeha in his habits of life in this district as to hardly warrant a separate report on his sanitary condition. In most of the pas a separate kitchen and dining-room will be found for use at huis, and two of the communities, Pakipaki and Omahu, are talking of installing a drainage system with septic tanks in the pas." Otago. " The only Native settlement in the Waitaki Hospital District is at Moeraki, on the coast of North Otago, the total population being about seventy. The standard of sanitation is low, most of the Natives being in poor circumstances, and at least one member of a large proportion of the households is more or less affected with tuberculosis. The Maoris in the Otago Hospital District are located mainly at Puketeraki, Taiaroa Heads, and Taieri Mouth. No special inspections have been made of the settlements, but isolated inspections indicate that the sanitary conditions under which they live are fairly satisfactory." Journal. The Departmental Journal has proved itself a valuable means of disseminating information on health and hospital matters. I hope to arrange that during the coming year more attention will be given to the preparation of special articles for this publication, especially on subjects of professional interest. Board of Public Health. I desire to express the Department's appreciation of the valuable assistance it has received during the year from the Board of Public Health. The advice and support of the Board in dealing with public-health matters involving large questions of policy have proved of great advantage. Among the matters brought before the Board and on which the Board has supplied the Department with its recommendations have been—The report of the Influenza Epidemic Commission; reorganization of the Public Health Department, and the Department's relation to local bodies; quarantine of ships and persons for influenza; housing; venereal diseases; vaccination against smallpox; proposed appointment of quarantine specialist; general policy for the Dominion for combating tuberculosis; possible outbreak of malaria in New Zealand; proposals for amending Public Health Act; and Social Hygiene Bill. J am glad you have seen your way to approve the recommendations which have been laid before you with relation to the extension of the Board's powers, and trust Parliament will agree to the passing of the necessary legislation this session. By doing so the Board will be able to add considerably to the very useful service it has already rendered the Dominion. Reorganization and Additions to Staff. The reorganization of the Department which was mentioned in my report for last year has been gradually proceeded with. During the year under review two new health districts were established —(1) the North Auckland District, with its headquarters at Whangarei, and (2) the Hawke's Bay District, with its headquarters at Napier; while since the (dose of the financial year the Wanganui-Taranaki District have come into being Additions to Head Office staff include Dr. D. S. Wylie, formerly Officer in Charge Trenthani Military Hospital, who has been appointed Inspector of Hospitals; and Dr. M. H. Watt, formerly District Health Officer, Wellington, who has taken up duties as Assistant Chief. Health Officer. The duties of the former will comprise inspection of hospital* and general supervision of the clinical activities of the Department, while the latter will be engaged in matters connected with the prevention and control of infectious disease and Public Health administration in general. Further additions to the Medical Staff include the following District Health Officers : Drs. W. B. Mercer, T. F. Telford, T. McKibbon, A. D. S. Whyte, W. Findlay, C. E. Hercus, C. A. R. Davies, and J. Boyd. This very necessary increase to staff has made it possible to maintain in