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29
Sanitary Work.
Some details of the routine work of the Health Department are set
out in the four tables numbered CI, C2, C3 and C4, which are printed
at the end of this Report.
It is a difficult matter to give accurate figures as to the work done,
which could be in any way compared to the similar tables published in
the annual reports of other districts, without some common definition as
to the meaning of the terms "inspection," "re-inspection," and others
equally vague in the headings of the various columns in these four
tables. It often happens that one of the Inspectors or the Medical Officer
of Health, may in passing to other work look at some alteration or
improvement that is being carried out to note if it is being done in a
satisfactory manner, but this casual visit might be a re-inspection or not
according to individual opinion. The work of a Sanitary Inspector is not
to be measured only by the number of entries he makes in a book, or
the amount of writing he does, though both these things are important
parts of his routine duties. Much is done in this District, as no doubt
also in others, by friendly advice given and suggestions made to remedy
small nuisances and minor defects which owners and occupiers themselves
frequently fail to notice, and it is the endeavour of the Staff of the Health
Department to carry out its work wherever possible without resort to
formal notices and legal proceedings. The total amount of work performed
during the year has been slightly less than during 1903, owing partly
to loss of time through illness, causing unavoidable absence from duty
of one or other of the Inspectors, and partly to the resignation of one
of the Assistant Inspectors, and the necessity of his successor becoming
familiar with the peculiarities of the District. Mr. Ashworth, who was
appointed to the post vacated by Mr. Dowell, has proved himself a most
capable and energetic official, and much good work has been done by
Mr. Roberts and himself, acting under the general directions of Mr. Smith,
the senior Inspector.
In last year's Eeport attention was drawn to the fact that on many
occasions defects were found in the drains of new houses when they were
tested on the occurence of infectious disease in them. By the direction
of the Health Committee a system was devised to ensure the more strict
testing of the drains of new houses before occupation. It had hitherto been