Widnes Examiner. — 1902-08-15 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

HIGHWAYS AND SANITARY COMMIT TEE. THE MEDICAL OFFICER'S REPORT.  The report of the Medical Officer of Healy, for the past quarter was read, viz :—The birth-rate was, 36.6, and the death-rate 14.6, per 1,000 of the estimated populr tion. The causes of death were certified as follow .—Diphtheria and membraneous croup, 2 ; diarrhoea 1 v.interitisi, 3 ; phtlthis, 5 ; cancer,malignant disease, 2 ; bronchitis, 5 ; pueurnonia, •10 ; heart diseases, 5 ; accidents, 3 ; suicide, 1 • influenza, 1 ; all other causes, 25. Total, 63. The infantile death-rate was 10.4 per coot, and the thiaths under five years of age were 31 7 per crat of the total number of deaths. Twenty-one cases of infectious disease (including 7 from puthisis) were notified to me. The committm resolved that the request of the Royal Commission on sewage disposal for this Council to treat the sewage at the central works day and night, be granted. 'floe tenders which had been recei red for the sewering, of part of Ashton-road (from crow-lane to Brooks-square) were :submitted Co the committee, and it was resolved that the tender of Mr. George Finning be accepted for the work, and that the Clerk be instructed to prepare the contract accordingly. The commtttee also resolved that the Council be recommended to direct the Clerk to make application to the Local Government Board for a provisional order to amend the Newton District Improvement Ace, 1855, which incorporates the Town's Improvement Clauses Act, 1847, so that on the erection of any new building, the Council shall be empowered to require that such new building shall tati provided with proper and sufficient water closets and waste water closets, or with one or more of either class of closet, according as circumstances may require. The Chairman moved the confirmation of the minutes.  ?dr Borron, referring to the last named resolution,said it was rather too.early a resolution to pass at that meeting. Such a resolution would alter the existing sanitary arr augements and as there was not a superfluous supply of water at present. the proposed new system of water carriage would affect the supply very materially. The present system was efficitntly carried on and the death rate of the district showed that the sanitary arrangements were not in an uosatisfactory conditi on. Be thought they ahould stay their hands until they were in the position of having an amole supply of water r o that the sewers might be sufficiently flushed. There was also the question of dealing with the extra sewage which ought to be a matter for careful consideration before they decided upoa a water closet system. He moved that the matter be referred back.  Mr Gilmour said los was in favour of the proposed system being adopted,but as they were not in a position to supply the water required, be would second the resolution for the matter to be referred back.  Dr Latham said it appeared that som- members of the Council were a little slower than others in arriving at what be chose to call a satisfactory conclusion. He should have thoueht that the elaborate report which was submitted to the members by the Surveyor would have been sufficient for soy member of the Council to have made up his mind on the matter. Personally he (Dr Latham) bad made up his mind that the present sanitary sysiem was discreditable in the extreme. The system of emptying pails and replacing the same pail was a disgrace to any sanitary authority The Sanitary Inspector had furnished them with particulars of the cost of providing pails which had been kept clean and prepared ready for replacement. When that reporter's re id thereiwaa no one bold enough to suggest that the Council should incur the additional cost. The death rate of the district was certainly low in comparison with some of the large towns in the immediate district, hut he would remind them that the death rate in one district bore no comparison with the death rate in another, unless they were acquainted with local conditions which were responsible tor the death rate. He contended that the death rate of the district was not in a satisfactory condition. It was not as satisfactory as it might be and not what he hoped i would be. With regard to the extra deposits in the sewage by the use of water carriage, it had been proved beyond all possible doubt that the sewage of water closet towns was very little different frem that of towns without the system. The extra work at the sewage works would be infinitesimal.lf they had not a sufficent quantity of water tor the purpose then it was the duty of the Water Committee to increase the supuly. Mr Barron, in reply, said he found in the Surveyor's report which had been alluded to, the fellowic,g ear tence :—"The low death rate is sufficient evidence that the present system is sa'isfactory. There are some objectionable features of the system which might be mitigated, but suggested improvements would bs outside the scope of my instruCtions." He (Mr Borron) would be very glad to hear of those suggested improvements. (Hear, hear.) Doctors and experts differed on the question. He ha i followed the reports on the health of the district for Rome time and on compering the death rate he found that it compared to advsntege with dietricts where the water-carriage system had been adopted. He thought thee should be very careful before they departed from what had been successful hitherto. 1 The amendment, referring the minlate back, WAS carried and the minutes were then passed.