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I have also to express my thanks for the way the
Council received my proposal with regard to the increase of
the Staff, for I think I may say that we are now properly
equipped, and the increase in numbers I hope will shew its
effect in the work of the department and prove its benefits
during the present and future years.
The Public Health Staff now consists of a Chief Clerk
and five others, eleven male inspectors and one female, and
one inspector to carry out the provisions of the Food and
Drugs Acts.
The Council also resolved that another male inspector
be appointed, but this appointment was held over pending
some definite decision with regard to the future supervision of
the drainage of new buildings.
Tables VII. and VIII. give the work of your Inspectors,
arranged in tabular form under the classification of each
Inspector, and also of the nature of the work.
The house-to-house inspections amounted to 5,968, as
compared with 6,494 in 1901.
The complaints numbered 917, as against 980 in the
previous year, while the inspections that were necessary for
ascertaining the truth or otherwise of the complaints amounted
to 1,376.
These two items are accordingly decreased in comparison,
but there is a large increase in the visits to new buildings and
those to tenements and to houses let in lodgings, also in the
number of re-inspections made after infectious disease; the reinspections
on the other hand show a considerable decrease.
Last year, however, was not an ordinary year, as must
be seen by a reference to the enormous amount of work
necessitated by the smallpox outbreak.
The only addition to the list of last year is that of overcrowding.
As a result of the inspections made on account of the
above reason it was found necessary to serve 4,893 intimations
under the Public Health Act, followed up by 1,203 notices
served under authority from the Public Health Committee, and
of these 488 related to houses let in lodgings. Further, in the
case of 63 premises it was found necessary to serve summonses. Of these 33 were withdrawn on account of the work
having been done, while in 30 cases an order was made.