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65
from being established without the written consent of the Council. After some
considerable correspondence they removed to another district. The offensive
trade that commenced operations in 1911 in this district, viz., gut-scraper, is
still in existence. The premises have been visited from time to time, but the
work is not carried out under the conditions it should be. The premises are
regularly visited, and are kept as cleanly as circumstances will permit.
From pig keeping during the year very little trouble has arisen, no doubt,
due to the fact that pigs have been scarce; but the boiling of the waste products
from London restaurants, and extracting the fat has given rise to trouble.
CANAL BOATS.
The number of canal boats inspected was 23. Special difficulty exists in
this district owing to the canal being some distance from dwelling houses
generally, thus necessitating special and exclusive visits, which occupy much
more time than would be the case if the canal ran through the more thickly
populated part of the district, as the inspections could be carried out with the
general work.
The following contraventions of the Acts and Regulations were dealt with :
2 dirty cabins.
1 cabin required painting.
All of which have have been remedied.
Although the number of boats on the river is on the increase, the registered
boats are on the decrease. Speaking generally, the canal boats registered by
districts abutting on the Lea are in good condition, and are seldom occupied
other than by males.
The work done under this Act is annually supervised by H.M. Inspector
of Canal Boats.
In drawing this report to a close, I have endeavoured to curtail it as far as
possible, and have only mentioned those matters on which I think some
comment should be made. Although the tabulated statement attached will
give some of the headings under which the work is done, it does not represent
by any means the multifarious duties that come under the supervision of the
Department.
During the year proceedings were taken against the owner of three houses
for the recovery of the sum of £72 11s. 5d., money expended in making the
houses reasonably fit for human habitation, under Section 15 of the Housing
and Town Planning Act, 1909. The defendant was ordered by the Court to
pay £5 per month and the cost of the proceedings. However, no money has