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39
With respect to No. 9, Halcombe Street, proceedings were taken by Inspector
Pearson on account of the defective condition of the drain. This drain formed part
of a combined system. It was not disputed that the drain was defective and required
reconstruction. The owner, however, contended that the combined drain was a
sewer. The Council were in possession of a plan and record showing that the
combination had been approved by the Local Authority, and was, therefore, a drain.
The owner, however, was not satisfied, and decided that an appeal should be made
to a magistrate, the chief point raised by him being that the application to lay the
drain in question was undated. The magistrate decided in the Council's favour.
The summonses in respect to the houses in Laburnum Street were taken by
the Chief Inspector against the owner for failing to supply the houses with proper
dust receptacles. The dust receptacles were, however, provided before the summonses
came on for hearing, and it was decided to withdraw them on1 the owner
paying the costs of the same.
With respect to the houses in New Norfolk Street, the summonses were taken
against the landlord by the Chief Inspector for neglecting to make the returns
necessary for registration under the by-laws as to houses let in lodgings. The returns
having been made before the summonses came on for hearing, it was decided in
these cases also not to proceed further, and the summonses were withdrawn upon
the costs being paid by the landlord.
The proceedings in respect to Nos. 33, 35 and 37, St. John's Road and 112,
Pitfield Street, relate to the seizure of unsound food, and are dealt with later in the
report (vide p. 51-53).
With regard to No. 47, Wilmer Gardens, this was a house without a proper
receptacle for house refuse. The necessary notices were served, but no steps were
taken, and when the case came on for hearing the owner failed to appear. The
magistrate inflicted the penalty as above, that is, five shillings for every day the house
was without a proper receptacle after the period stated on the statutory notice,
seven days having been allowed for the period during which the necessary provision
should have been made.
SMOKE NUISANCE.
During the year nuisances from the emission of black smoke were dealt with
in 27 instances. Seventeen communications were received from the London County
Council relating to black smoke issuing on ten premises. In all cases the necessary
steps were taken with a view to obtaining the abatement of the nuisances. In one
instance the facts were reported to the Health Committee, and a statutory notice
was ordered to be served upon the person responsible under the Public Health
(London) Act, 1891, but it was not necessary to take police court proceedings.