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188
[1904
HOUSES LET IN LODGINGS.
There were 749 houses on the register at the end of the year, as against
655 in 1903, being an addition of 94. There were 2,065 separate inspections
of these premises, and in addition 7,124 subsequent visits to them for the
purpose of seeing that the work required by the inspectors was carried out,
thus making a total of 9,189 visits.
In the first quarter 2,294 visits were made, in the second 1,614, in the
third 2,369, and in the fourth 2,914. The cause of the increased number of
inspections and visits in the third and fourth quarters was that at the end of
the second quarter Inspector Ward, who had up to that period divided his
time between the inspection of houses let in lodgings and the taking of samples
under the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts, was instructed to devote his whole
time to the latter duty, and that Inspector Bridel was appointed an inspector
of housei let in lodgings in the northern part of the borough.
The early part of the year was remarkable for the judgment of the High
Court in the appeal case of Nokes v. the Council, owing to which the by-law
which deals with cleansing was declared to be bad, because it did not provide
for a notice being given to the owner. As this judgment was delivered when
the annual report for 1903 was going through the press, it was printed in
extenso in it, as it was thought that the matter was of such importance that it
should be brought under the notice of the Council as soon as possible. Since
then a new set of by-laws has been framed, and will have, it is hoped, received
the sanction of the Local Government Board nearly as soon as this report
is presented.
Improvements.—The inspections resulted in 2,259 separate improvements
being effected.