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To mv mind the time has come for Health Authorities to he
no longer satisfied with the ordinary standard, hut to endeavour
to make some real effort (far beyond anything yet attempted) to
grapple with the many questions affecting the health and stamina
of the thousands who dwell in their densely populated areas under
conditions which make healthy life an almost physical impossibility.
One so often hears that if this law and the other were
strictly enforced what a wonderful improvement might be effected.
Whilst I do not in any degree under-rate the very great importance
of strictly enforcing all existing statutes and powers,
and have in fact shown by a fairly wide application what can be
accomplished with the existing machinery, I wish to make it
clear, that until entirely new ground is broken, and that in many
directions, you are not in reality even touching the fringe of the
great problem of a healthy life under healthy conditions for the
thousands of your town dwellers,
I should like to deal with the present powers possessed by
Health Authorities in order to show that under existing conditions
they are able to do very little beyond preventing the
grossest nuisances becoming an absolute danger to the public
health. They can deal with insanitary conditions and cases of
infectious disease so as to prevent as far as may be any serious
outbreak or epidemic, but the point I wish to establish is that the
best you can do falls terribly short of what you ought to be able
to do, and what will have to be done ere any real or great
improvement takes place.
Excluding some minor Acts, your present powers are obtained
under:—
1. The Housing of the Working Clases Act, 1890,
2. The Public Health (London) Act, 1891.
3. The Sale of Food and Drugs Act, 1875 to 1899.
These, with various Bye-Laws, Orders and Regulations,
embrace the Health Laws of the Metropolitan Authorities, and