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67
There can be no doubt that many of these provisions are
urgently called for in the interests of the health and well-being
of our workers and it is to be hoped that the Committee stage
will mould it into a workable measure. The weakest point in it
is the divided authority; indeed so apparent was this that
another measure proposed to take the matter out of the hands
of the Local Authorities and to vest the whole control of the
subject in the Factory Inspectors, it is, however, not probable
that the latter view will prevail.
Public
Health
(London)
Act, 1891.
The procedure of the Sanitary Department is
almost entirely based upon the provisions of the
Public Health (London) Act, 1891, which consolidated
and amended the various Acts under which the Sanitation of
London had been previously carried out. It contained also
many valuable provisions which had hitherto only been extra
Metropolitan and contained in the Public Health Act, 1875,
under which provincial Sanitary Authorities had effected great
improvement in the Sanitation of their districts. A condensed
synopsis of its provisions here will be useful for reference.
Sec. 1 provides for house to house inspection by the
Sanitary Authority, for which additional Inspectors with separate
and smaller districts have been appointed within the last two
years.
Sec. 2.—A nuisance must be abated that is dangerous or
likely to be dangerous to health. Under the Metropolis Management
and other Acts it was neceesary to prove actual injury to
health.
Sec. 3 provides that information of a nuisance may be made
to the Sanitary Authority, who shall serve intimation to parties
responsible.
Sec. 4.—The most essential difference between the procedure
under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, and the various
other preceding Acts, is that formerly if a notice to abate a