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At present, however, no power appears to be given to
sanitary authorities to charge for this service. It will be generally
conceded that there would be a great advantage to the sanitary
authority having the power to remove and charge an agreed sum
for the service.
Table xvii shews the sanitary work of the Public Health
Department for the last six years. The total number of sanitary
operations during 1897 was 67,200. These were slightly less
numerous than in 1896 owing to the inspectorial staff being short
handed for a month or two at the end of the year. It will,
however, be apparent that the more serious work, such as the
inspection of premises was in excess of any previous year.
The total number of house inspections during the year 1897
was forty-two thousand four hundred and eighty-six. It must
not be imagined that this is identical with the number of separate
houses inspected, as many in a bad and insanitary condition
required re-inspection on many occasions. The number of
intimations served under sec. 3 of the Public Health
(London) Act was three thousand and thirty, under sec. 4, six
hundred and eleven, and the notices served under secs. 62 and 65
were two thousand two hundred and forty-six. Complaints to
the number of three thousand two hundred and fifty-four were
received and attended to. The number of houses disinfected was
two thousand and ninety, while disinfectants were distributed
in seven thousand eight hundred and forty-six instances, and
certificates of disinfection, two thousand one hundred and seventysix
issued, and three hundred and nine premises were cleansed
and repaired, and overcrowding abated in sixty-five cases.
Drains were tested by water in three thousand and eighty
instances, and by smoke in nine hundred and fourteen. There
were seven hundred and ninety-nine drains cleansed and repaired,
while six hundred and thirty-six were relaid. There were two
hundred and forty-four drains laid to new houses under the