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20
SANITARY WORK CARRIED OUT DURING
THE YEAR.
During the past year the work carried out by the Public
Health Department has been very considerable, and a great deal
of it is of a lasting character, the systematic house to house inspection
has been going on with the result that during the last
two years a very large part of the district has been inspected and
the houses of some thousands have been placed in a better
sanitary condition than formerly; it is to be hoped that all this
will tend to elevate the masses and give them more self-respect
and also more respect for the houses they occupy, as in some
parts of our district it is deplorable to see the havoc that is
made with the interior of the houses that have perhaps a few
months previously been placed in a good state of repair.
Particular attention has been paid to house drainage, during
the past year a large amount of drainage work has been carried
out in the most approved manner, both as regards combined
and separate systems of drainage ; ventilating shafts and air
chambers have been constructed and proper intercepting traps
placed between the drains and the sewer; this work which it is
to be hoped will be of a practically permanent character has entailed a great deal of supervision by the Inspectors, as it has been
found necessary to see the work repeatedly before completion.
In many cases owners were slow to carry out the requirements of
the Vestry in the manner indicated above, yet eventually they
will reap the benefit, and the occupants of the houses will be insured
against breathing sewer gas which they were found to be
doing much to their detriment in numerous instances. As will
be seen in another part of my Report the inspection of workshops
and that of the houses of outworkers have been carried
out more systematically during the past year.
The houses let in lodgings of which we have several streets in
the West and Centre Wards have been systematically visited
and the number of occupants taken and measures have been
adopted to prevent overcrowding and also to keep these houses
habitable, the class of tenants are those of our lowest type and
so these dwellings need much extra supervision. The detailed
Report of the Inspectors will give some idea of the work
accomplished, and to be able to present such a Report will shew
that they have carried out their part of the work with both industry
and perseverance, and whilst in no case have they been
unnecessarily severe upon owners of property they have always
had the health of the public in view.
In a number of cases where nuisances have not been abated
as per the Vestry's order, after giving every latitude, as the dates
in the Table of Proceedings will show, it has been found necessary
to take proceedings against the owners of the property, and
in every case either the work has been completed before the