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responsible. The Inspector under the Canal Boats Act for the
City Road Basin is the Sanitary Inspector (Inspector Powell),
for the district of Finsbury in which it is situated.
In addition to the boats registered under the Canal Boats
Acts, there are a number of other boats or barges known as
"dumb" boats. These are boats which at one time were
registered, but from structural or other defects are now unfit for
habitation. Casual visits have been made to these boats in order
to ascertain if the men who work on them use the cabins for other
purposes than as store-places for ropes, chains, etc. These boats
carry general merchandise, and are worked by men who contract
to navigate them from the dock to the various wharves, and
vice versa.
Sailing barges, registered under the Merchant Shipping Acts,
occasionally bring cargoes of building materials, bricks, sand,
pipes, etc., from the Medway District. They are inspected by
the Port Sanitary Authority of the Port of London, except in
cases of infectious disease, when the Local Authority has certain
jurisdiction.
Further, the Local Authority has no powers in respect to Registration. Its powers are limited to Inspection. Various minor
matters in respect to the marking of boats have received attention
during the year. One case of overcrowding was also reduced.
Particulars of Infringements.
(a) Registration.—No infringement. This Local Authority has
only powers of Inspection.
(b) Notification of Change of Master.—No infringement.
(c) Certificates.—Two infringements. The boat was working
without a certificate on board in one case, and in the other case
the number on certificate did not agree with that on the boat.
(d) Marking.—Two infringements. The boats were indistinctly
marked and numbered.