View report page

98
He further reported at this meeting that acting under the directions
of the Health Committee, he had entered upon the premises No.
58 Marmion Road, and opened up the drains for the purpose of
testing, &c., when he had found they were in a very defective
condition, and that the necessity for this action was brought
about by the fact that the owner of the property who had
been served with a notice, had executed certain works to the
drains without giving notice to the Department, as is usual in
such cases. The drains had been tested in the first instance,
owing to cases of diphtheria occurring in the house, and the works
subsequently carried out not having been executed under the
supervision of the Vestry's Officers, the Committee deemed it
necessary that they should be opened up and tested by water, as
when tested in the first instance by smoke, they were defective.
Upon a second test being applied, they revealed no defect. This
was believed to be occasioned by the fact that a plug in connection
with the interceptor had been removed with a view to
lessening the pressure of smoke in the drain during the testing.
The Committee gave directions for proceedings to be taken for
the recovery of penalties to which the owner had rendered himself
liable in the matter, and for enforcing compliance with the notice
which had been served. The defendant promising to comply fully
with the Vestry's requirements and paying 12s, costs, the
summons was adjourned until the 8th of June, upon
which date it was withdrawn, the works having been completed.
He also reported, as directed by the Health Committee
with reference to the condition of Garden Cottages,
York Road, the entrances to which were alleged to be used as
public conveniences, &c., that the cottages in question were
approached by three entrances, one leading from Plough Road
through Field Place, a second through Edmund's Place, and a
third by a passage way between 253 & 255 York Road. The
number of cottages situated in this area were ten, eight having
only two rooms, the remainder having three, and being very old