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7
In our own Borough under this iniquitous legal system, the
rate-payers' burden is increased by the sum of six thousand
pounds (£6,000) per annum, and the property owners' relieved to
that extent from their just and proper liabilities.
To amend this state of affairs, there have been several
conferences which resulted in an influential deputation of London
authorities to the President of the Local Government Board, who
was asked to initiate legislation on the matter. After very long,
and, no doubt, careful consideration by the Local Government
Board the different authorities have just been informed that the
President does not see any prospect of the Government being able
to introduce any Bill into Parliament during the present session.
Comment is out of the question.
House to House work is in almost a similar condition.
The Public Health London Act, Section 1, makes it the duty
of the Authority to cause a House to House inspection of their
district to be made from time to time with a view to ascertain
what nuisances exist. A certain authority proceeded to carry
out this duty, and on the inspector being met with a point blank
refusal when asking to be allowed to examine certain premises, a
magistrate's order to compel admission was applied for in the
usual manner. To every one's surprise the officer was asked if
he had any reason to suspect the existence of any nuisance on the
premises. Replying to the effect that he was making the House
to House visitation directed by Section 1, he was informed that
no order would be granted unless he could say he had reasonable
grounds to suspect that a nuisance existed. A Superior Court
subsequently upheld this view of the law, and. the question now
is—How is an authority to carry out house to house visitation if,
on refusal by an occupier, an inspector has to swear that he
suspects the existence of a nuisance on premises to which
admission has been refused him ?
Other specific decisions quite recently given in the High Court
have apparently destroyed much of the usefulness of Bye-laws