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95
101 in the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, which makes the
Local Government Board the judge between the County Council
and the Metropolitan Borough Councils. This was the form of
control suggested by the opposing Borough Councils, whereupon,
for some reason or other best known to the County Council
or their advisors, one of the most necessary clauses of the
Bill was also not proceeded with in the House of Lords, although
it had passed the Commons. This clause is the one authorising
sanitary regulations for premises used for the sale or preparation
for sale of food for human consumption. The sanitary powers
obtained under this Act, as it was passed, are briefly as follows:—
Section 19, which gives power to the Sanitary Authority to
require filthy, dangerous, or unwholesome articles in a house to be
purified or cleansed.
Section 20, which provides that houses infested with vermin
may also be required to be cleansed.
Section 22 gives power to the Sanitary Authority to require
removal or alteration of sanitary conveniences accessible from any
street, which are so placed or constructed as to be a nuisance or
offensive to public decency.
Section 23 empowers the Sanitary Authority to require fixed
ashpits to be removed where movable ashpits have been provided.
REPORT RESPECTING THE WORK OF THE
PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
During the year the question of the enlargement of the
staff of the Public Health Department has been under consideration
at various times, several reports upon the matter have