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exposed to infection by any dangerous infectious disease, and the
Cleansing of Persons Act. 1897, empowers the same authority to
allow the use, free of charge, of their disinfecting apparatus, for
cleansing persons and articles infected with vermin; and also to
provide buildings and appliances for the purpose of carrying out the
Act. There is, however, no power to deal with articles of bed or
body clothing which are in a filthy, dangerous, or unwholesome
condition, and the Committee thought that it would be very desirable
if Sanitary Authorities were enabled to require such articles to be
cleansed or destroyed. They accordingly have advised the County
Council to promote Legislation with this object, and suggested a clause
for the purpose.
With this proposal the Council will be in Sympathy, as during
several years the Sanitary Authority of the Borough have been
making efforts to obtain the sanction of the Local Government Board
to a by-law, applicable to the case of furnished rooms in registered
houses, for this purpose.
The second proposal relates to "the cleansing of rooms infested
with vermin." The Committee say that in the administration of the
Common Lodging Houses Acts they have been successful to a
extent in freeing common lodging-houses in London from vermin, and
most people, probably, will think with them that it is desirable that
some attempt should be made to compel owners of premises which
are infested with vermin to take steps to cleanse them. The proposed
legislation is designed to enable Sanitary Authorities to require the
owners of premises to strip the walls and cleanse any room or rooms
infested with vermin. It would be an advantage, doubtless, to have
direct legislative power for this purpose, which, however, is largely
achieved in this Borough by the service of notices, commonly under
the by-laws for registered houses, to cleanse vermin-infested rooms.
The third proposal relates to "urinals opening on to streets and
so placed as to be a nuisance or offensive to public decency." Sanitary
authorities possess power, under the Public Health (London) Act,
1891, sec. 2(1) (b), to deal, as nuisances, with urinals which are so foul,
Or in such a state as to be a nuisance or injurious or dangerous to
health; and Section 45 (2) prohibits the erection of sanitary
conveniences (which term includes urinals), in or accessible from any
street, without t he consent in writing of the sanitary authority. The
Committee state that their attention has been frequently called to
cases in which urinals opening on to streets have been so constructed
as to be offensive to public decency-such urinals having been
generally erected before the passing of the Act. There appears to be
no power, at present, to deal effectively with such eases, and the
committee recommend promotion of legislation to enable the Sanitary