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41
vision over the Inspectors; I gave advice and instructions as to
procedure on the written reports which were daily submitted to
me by the Inspectors, and from their reports I selected such cases
for personal visits of examination as I considered necessary, but I
never acted or professed to act as a Chief Inspector of Nuisances.
The temporary arrangement was never formally confirmed by the
Vestry, but I have much pleasure in testifying that the Inspectors
have always cheerfully complied with my directions so far as they
were able, and I take this opportunity of thanking them for their
courtesy and good faith.
The selection of Mr. Gerald Watts was not a happy one; his work
was found to be most unsatisfactory, and on my reporting to this
effect he was called upon to resign, and Mr. John Foot was elected
in his place. We had now a staff of Inspectors second to none in
London. Mr. Lapworth, a man of long experience (though not in
his first youth), and Messrs. Weston and Foot, young, active and
enthusiastic sanitarians, who worked early and late, devoting themselves
mind and body to the improvement of the health of the
Parish.
The new system showed an enormous improvement over the old
one, and the face of the district rapidly changed for the better;
hundreds of dilapidated hovels were pulled down instead of being
patched up and sound healthy dwellings were erected on their sites.
We were then happily ignorant of the subtle distinction between
drain and sewer on private property, and dealt boldly with insanitary
conditions wherever found.
But new duties were thrown by Parliament on Sanitary Authorities
necessitating much additional clerical work, and though Messrs.
Weston and Foot wrote out most of their notices at home after
office hours, I was obliged to employ my son, Mr. Frank Bate, as an
additional clerk, in order to keep pace with the requirements of the
law.
In December 1893, Mr. Kelf was appointed fourth Sanitary
Inspector. His duties were at first restricted to the inspection and
regulation of trade premises, but on the appointment of Mr. Henley
as a fifth Sanitary Inspector, in January 1895, this arrangement was