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remain, but today these officers are increasingly regarded more as advisors than as
policemen. To give good advice and to try to see that it is followed requires more
tact, tenacity and time than to demand that the law be obeyed - and often produces
lasting results.
Not all complaints brought to the Health Department deal with matters on which
the Department is empowered to take action, and in such cases complainants are
advised, as far as is known how and where the matter may receive attention. Some
particulars of the work done are shown below:-
Inspections following complaint 1,432
Number of premises at which nuisance, etc. were located 752
Number of premises where defects were remedied
(a) by owners or occupiers 586
(b) by Council in default 12
(c) public sewers repaired by Council 23
Informal notices issued 337
Written reminders issued 732
Statutory notices served 20
Total number of inspections and re-inspections 22,133
Inspections of piggeries 16
Inspections of stables 25
Inspections of urinals 161
Sinks provided or repaired 23
Roofs repaired 159
Gutters repaired or renewed 134
Brickwork, sills etc., repaired or renewed 285
Premises provided with damp proof courses 7
Sites covered with impervious material 8
Yards and forecourts paved or drained 22
External painting 44
Rooms stripped, cleansed and redecorated 575
Floor, walls and ceilings repaired or renewed 654
Rooms in which ventilation provided or improved 9
Rooms in which lighting provided or improved 1
Windows repaired or renewed 396
Doors and other woodwork repaired or renewed 129
Staircases replaced or repaired 13
Lighting to staircase provided or improved
Handrails or balusters repaired or renewed 7
Grates provided or repaired 75
Instances where ventilation under floor provided or improved 13
Larders provided or repaired 6
Domestic cleansing enforced 19
Improper keeping of animals abated 6
Offensive accumulations removed 28
Other repairs carried out or nuisances abated 123
Visits re infectious diseases, etc. 942
Complaints continue to be received of nuisance cause by pigeons, Apart from
those particularly affected, the public tends to be on the side of the pigeons, but
the damage and nuisance caused by them is considerable. They foul premises and by
damage to cement and mortar expose brickwork to attack by rain and frost. The
department does what it can to assist and advise complainants, but it must be pointed
out that the Council has no power to catch or destroy pigeons on private property
or to spend money for such a purpose.
The fouling of footpaths by dogs is much too prevalent. Training of dogs
would do much to prevent this, and there is no excuse for permitting dogs on lead to
foul footpaths, A local bye law states "No person being in charge of a dog in any
street or public place, and having the dog on a lead, shall allow or permit such dog
to deposit its excrement upon the public footway" and for such offence there is a
penalty not exceeding £5 Here the difficulty is to secure the name and address of
the offender and of witnesses willing to testify.
EXCHANGE OF ARTICLES FOR RAGS, etc. - Under the Public Health Act, 1936, it is
an offence for any person who collects or deals in rags, etc., to sell or deliver,
whether gratuitously or not, any article whatsoever to a child under the age of 14
years in exchange for rags etc. The Police notify the Council of any such contraventions
coming to their notice.
During the year, a person was prosecuted and a fine of £2 with 2 guineas costs
was imposed.
SMOKE ABATEMENT - The emission of smoke, grit and ash from a factory chimney
may constitute a nuisance within the meaning of the Public Health Acts. During the
year the Sanitary Inspectors made 147 smoke observations and paid many visits to
premises in regard to which complaints of smoke nuisance had been received, One
smoke nuisance proved, was due to faulty stoking. With the co-operation of the
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