View report page

58
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 few 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 necessary 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
nuisance from the Sanitary Authority was not complied with,
proceedings had to be commenced before a justice and evidence
produced to satisfy him that a nuisance injurious to health existed
when, if satisfied that such nuisance existed and was injurious to
health an order would be made for the abatement of the same.
If this order was disregarded and the necessary works not
executed it was necessary to commence fresh proceedings to
recover penalties. The Sanitary Authority under this section
itself considers the matter and makes orders, if necessary suing
for penalties for non-compliance therewith.
Absence of proper water-fittings is constituted a nuisance
under section 4, and by section 5 a house may be closed for this