London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Wimbledon 1909

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Wimbledon]

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It was necessary to take the eases into Court to demonstrate
the fact that the Borough Council could not be party
to the Act becoming a dead letter. Five cases were dismissed
on payment of costs, amounting to 16s. in the first
instance and 15s. each in the remainder, the last being dismissed
without any costs owing to a conflict of evidence in
the case, the defendant alleging that the Notice was exhibited
in the dairy, a building apart from the shop.

The results of inspections made since these proceedings were taken are summarised in the following table:—

Number of premises visited.Young Persons Employed.Young persons not employed.Provision of seats for Female Assistants.
Notice exhibited.Notice not exhibited.Places where seats provided.Places where seats not provided.
65220765380192

Note.—Notices were exhibited in 76.l per cent, of the shops where young
persons were employed.
Of the 65 shops where the Notice was not exhibited, the
majority had in the period intervening between the inspections
commenced to employ a young person. The percentage
complying with the Act in this respect, whilst by no means
completely satisfactory, is an improvement- last year only
30.2 per cent, carrying out this clause.
Stable Refuse.—The Mews and stable-yards have been
kept under observation during the year, special attention
being given to secure the removal of stable refuse at least
once every seven days as required by the Bye-laws regulating
the keeping of animals. Over a thousand visits have been
made to such premises, which comprise in some cases only
one stable, but in others as many as twelve.
Since I adopted the practice four years ago of having
these premises inspected in turn once every week, a number
of inspections being made each day as far as other work
permits, very few complaints of effluvium nuisances have been
received, and I am sure that persons living in the immediate
neighbourhood appreciate the absence of foul smells from the
large heaps of manure and other refuse which were formerly
allowed in many instances to accumulate until they became
a nuisance, and the attention of the Department was called
to them by complaints.
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