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1900] 166
for the performance of the duty of such Authority in the matter of such complaint.
If such duty is not performed by the time limited in the order, the order may be
enforced by writ of Mandamus, or the Local Government Board may appoint the
County Council to perform such duty."
It might also be mentioned that in sec. 39, which deals with the making of
bye-laws by the County Council and by the local authorities with respect to water.
closets, etc., it is enacted that "it shall be the duty of every sanitary authority to
observe and enforce the bye-laws."
From these quotations from the Public Health Act of 1891 it can be at once
seen that neither the sanitary authority nor their officials have any option than to
enforce these enactments. Indeed it would be absurd if it were otherwise, for far
and away the chief and most important duty of a sanitary authority is the safeguarding
and preservation of the lives of the people. If that duty be removed
from them or be optional then the raison d'etre of their existence would be gone
and their functions would become small in the extreme. It is, therefore, absolutely
essential that they shall possess an adequate staff to perform their duties unless
they would lay themselves open to be compelled, as a neighbouring authority
was, to appoint a sufficient number of inspectors, or to have the grant under the
Equalization of Rates Act stopped, for the very condition of its being given is
dependent on its sanitary administration being efficient.
Now it is pleasing to record that your sanitary inspectors have performed
good work during the year, as may be judged by the following record of work contained
in the two succeeding Tables:—