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WITNESS-I was going to say, with regard to these cubicles, that while suggesting they should be only six feet high, I do not wish to do away with the present law that there must be a space of 4 feet between the top of the partition and the ceiling. That is a regulation which is in force now. You may have a room which is only ten feet high, and that would be all right; but you may have a room only 9 feet high and in that case the cubicle can now only be five feet high. I do not wish to go back upon that. I do not wish to do away with anything that does exist, but only to make additional regulations.
Mr. JACKSON-There should be no retrograde movement.
WITNESS-Still keeping to these narrow lanes I think that no further obstructions should be allowed in narrow private streets upon which houses front.
At the present moment there are narrow lanes with houses fronting the lane and there is nothing to prevent the owner of that lane, if it is a private one, from putting an erection there and so blocking up the entrance and exit with the exception of a space sufficient for one person to pass through. They have the power to do this, and throughout the city at the present moment they are building rooms at the entrance to these private lanes to be used as tobacconists' shops, fruit stalls, etc.
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-I certainly think the sooner that is put a stop to the better. It ought to be put a stop to forthwith.
Mr. EDE-There is no power at present.
The CHAIRMAN--Are these lanes private property?
WITNESS-Yes. We have power to prevent them from doing so, if the backs of the houses look on these lanes, but not if the fronts of the houses look on the lanes. It seems very strange, but it is so.
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-I think we ought to at once suggest to the Government the necessity of amending the Ordinance so as to make it apply to what you have now told us.--The exit can be blocked up at present except as a thoroughfare-just room for one person to pass through at one time.
Mr. EDE-I do not think we ought to recommend piecemeal.
The CHAIRMAN-I quite agree with you. Are there many lanes of that kind, Dr. CLARK ?
WITNESS-You have a list of the lanes there; there are about 100 of them; I cannot say how many of them are obstructed in that way at the present time.
They all can be ?-Yes, that is my point. It is being done every day, and I had a plan before me the other day showing an obstruction to one of these lanes. It was sent to me as Medical Officer of Health and I had to put a note on it to the effect that the Board had no power to prevent the practice. I have a note here suggesting that the Government should take over all private streets and light and maintain them after they have been paved and channelled by the owner. That is what is done at home and it seems to me to be a most reasonable arrangement. An owner of house property provides a street as a means of access to his houses, paves it and channels it, and then the Sanitary Authority take charge of it and maintain it in a proper sanitary condition.
The CHAIRMAN-If private lanes were taken over in that way would the difficulty you have mentioned occur?-No. At home there is no compulsion for an owner to hand a private street over to the Sanitary Authority, but if he retains it himself he must maintain it to the satisfaction of the Sanitary Authority. If he does hand it over it becomes public property.
You recommend that legislation should be introduced compelling the owners of private lanes to keep them in a sanitary condition or, failing that, to hand them over to the Government after they have been paved and channelled?-Yes, after they