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TENTS, VANS AND CARAVANS - There are five sites in the Borough which have been
used as caravan sites for many years. Some are occupied wholly or in part by persons,
who use caravans for business in connection with a travelling circus, fair or
stall. During the year, the inspectors made 1,449 visits of inspection because of
the occupation of land by caravans.
Trespass by caravans on road verges and unfenced land continues especially on
the western outskirts of the Borough. The vagrant type who occupy these caravans
deposit domestic refuse, litter of all kinds, waste water and faecal matter in the
neighbourhood of the sites occupied. Much time and effort have been given in
attempts to clear them from their usual camping sites but only too often within 24
hours they are back again.
Under the provisions of the Middlesex County Council Acts one application for
permission to place a caravan on a site in the Borough for a further period of twelve
months was granted.
COMMON LODGING HOUSES - There is no common lodging house in the Borough.
CANAL BOATS - The Public Health Inspectors continued their duties as canal boat
inspectors, and made 52 inspections during the year.
FACTORIES, WORKPLACES etc - The Factories Act placed on the Council certain
duties in regard to (a) outworkers; (b) employment of persons in unwholesome premises;
(c) basement bakehouses; (d) provision of sanitary conveniences in all factories, and
(e) cleanliness, over-crowding, ventilation and drainage of floors in the case of
factories in which mechanical power is not used. A summary of the work done is given
below and in Table X.
Inspection of (a) Factories - mechanical power 567
(b) Factories - non-mechanical power 37
(c) Other premises 7
(d) Workplaces 7
(e) Outworkers' premises 104
Defects remedied 19
At the end of the year the number.of outworkers registered with the Department
was 238 and the trades on which they were engaged were as follows:-
Wearing apparel 202
Lace, lace curtains and nets 2
Curtains and furniture hangings 5
Furniture and upholstery 3
Brass and brass articles 1
Artificial flowers 1
Carding, etc., of buttons, etc. 16
Stuffed toys 6
Cosaques, Christmas crackers,
Christmas stockings, etc. 2
DISINFESTATION - The Health Department deals with bug and other infestations in
houses and other premises, and for this purpose D.D.T. and other insecticides are
used. During the year, 38 rooms and 3 houses were treated, while 39 wasp nests were
destroyed, 10 premises cleared of cockroaches, 2 cleared of ants, and 12 of other
insects. Treatment of ponds and tanks to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes was
carried out as necessary.
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