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58
It is seriously affecting the efficiency of local administration
generally in London, and the Factory and Workshop Acts
supply a striking illustration.
"It is possible for the Factory Department of the. Home Office
to be engaged in certain circumstances in enforcing this Act as
well as the officials of the Local Borough Councils. In addition
the Officers of the London County Council from time to time
intervene, and then as though these were not enough, the
machinery of the Local Government Board as the superior
Sanitary Authority is occasionally called into requisition. We
have thus divided responsibility, a minimum of efficiency, the
maximum of overlapping and fussy interference, each set of officers
trying to justify their own existence at the expense of the other
set and utterly destroying the confidence of the public, as well as
burdening the community with high rates for the payment of all
these different sets of officials, which might be entirely avoided by
increasing the powers of some one Authority and compelling, if
needs be, by means of a Government Department, their strict
and proper exercise of such powers when granted."
End of the
Enquiry.
Like many previous Commissions and Enquiries this one has
ended and left us pretty much as before. Indeed it seems to be
generally more clearly recognised now that the enquiry is the
practical end of the matter. A sort of careful orthodox way of
wearying out those who desire that something shall really be
done by way of remedy.
Details ot
Works and
Various Duties,
I annex in the several Appendices details and particulars of an
enormous amount of routine work carried out by the Staff of the
Department during the year. These are set out in the following order:—
Appendix A—Total number of Inspections, &c.
„ B.—List of Nuisances and Insanitary Conditions
Discovered.
„ C.—List of Sanitary Improvements Effected.
„ D (1), (2), and (3).—Particulars of samples of Food
taken.
„ E.—Premises subject to Special Bye-laws.
F.—Proceedings under Food and Drugs Acts.
„ G.—Proceedings under Public Health Act.