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22
HOUSE OF SHELTER
for persons who are temporarily displaced during disinfection
of their premises after infectious disease.
The Public Health Act by section 60 makes it incumbent
on Local Authorities to provide a place for the accommodation
of members of any families who are compelled to
leave their homes whilst disinfection is carried out after infectious
disease; the necessity for this in our own district has
arisen from time to time since the passing of the Act, but on
April 10th last whilst Small Pox was so rife the necessity of this
became so urgent that I caused the Sanitary Committee to be
specially summoned when I read the following report: —
Gentlemen,
I have deemed it advisable to specially summon you to-day in order
to consider the desirability of providing as soon as possible temporary shelter
for the people who are displaced from their rooms whilst disinfection is being
carried out. Several cases have recently occurred where the people have had
to seek shelter from neighbours, and in one case they had to walk about the
street whilst disinfection was carried out. This is very undesirable and
dangerous, and if we are to stamp out the present epidemic of Small Pox in
our midst every means must be at once taken to do so, and in order to facilitate
this a Shelter ought to be found with the necessary attendants. You may
remember I have on previous occasions brought this matter before you, but
now the necessity has actually arisen and I recommend you to reconsider the
matter.
I am, Gentlemen,
Yours, &c.,
T. TAYLOR.
The Committee at once surveyed several houses and gave instructions
that one of them should be taken and the necessary
furniture provided; this was done, and before the alterations were
completed we were obliged to lodge two families for two days
who had to have their houses disinfected after Small Pox ; the
Shelter has been of great service since then and a number of
families have and are from time to time being lodged temporarily
generally for about twenty-four hours, the attendants are a man
in the employ of the Vestry with his wife and up to the present
they have given every satisfaction, and those persons who have
been obliged to come there have expressed themselves gratified
for the privilege.
UNDERGROUND DWELLINGS.
A very large proportion of these dwellings are situated in the
West Ward; about two years ago we took proceedings against
the occupiers of a number of them, when it was found that the
law was very defective in regard to these places; it was held
that some members of a family might occupy these rooms
with impunity providing the parents also rented another
room above ground in the same house, and so we failed to
establish the cases. lam afraid until it is enacted that the fact