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TO THE CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS
of the
Vestry of Saint James's Westminister
Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit my Annual Report, for the
year 1896, upon the Public Health of the Parish of St. James's,
Westminster.
This Report is the twenty-third which I have had the honour
to prepaid for the parish of St. James's. Eighteen Annual
Reports had previously been prepared by Dr. Edwin Lankester,
my predecessor in this office.
During the year 1896, upon the appointment of a new Sanitary
Inspector, the Vestry took occasion to "re-appoint" the present
senior Sanitary Inspector and also the Medical Officer of Health
under the General Order of the Local Government Board (March
28th, 1889). The Medical Officer of Health and the Sanitary
Inspectors of St. James's are now governed by the general
provisions of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, and by the
General Order of the Local Government Board (8th December,
1891). Half the salaries of these officers will be paid by the
London County Council, while the officers come more directly
under the control of the Local Government Board, and the duties
of the Medical Officer of Health are extended and more precisely
prescribed. Under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891,
section 108, the Local Government Board has:—
"(1) The same powers as they have in the case of a district
medical officer of a poor law union with regard to the qualification,
appointment, duties, salary, and tenure of office of
every medical officer of health and sanitary inspector, and
one-half of the salary of every such medical officer of health
and sanitary inspector shall be paid by the County Council'