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As regards unsound food, meat, fish, fruit and the like, over
4 cwts. were officially seized and taken before the Magistrates
for condemnation. In addition to this about 2½ tons were surrendered
by the various tradesmen who, in their own interest,
are now taking advantage of this procedure to an extent never
practised prior to existing arrangements. Quite recently the
rate of surrender by various tradesmen was over 6 tons per
annum.
3. The provisions of the Factory and Workshop Act and
the Orders of the Home Secretary made thereunder have been
dealt with by this Authority in a manner that probably constitutes
a record in sanitary supervision. The numbers of outworkers
to be dealt with mainly in the sweated industries have
progressed as regards inspections made from 286 in 1902 to
4173 in 1908. Every workplace and outworker's home has
been visited twice per year, and the number of entries in the
workshop register amounted in 1908 to about 7,775.
4. As regards sanitary supervision generally, about 18,204
primary inspections of all kinds were made. This would refer
to house to house inspections, complaints, tenement houses,
trade premises, dairies and cowsheds, and places where food is
prepared for sale, and enquiry into every complaint made.
Apart from the constant supervision involved in the above
inspections, it may be stated that these have resulted in
sanitary improvements being carried out, the supervision of
works necessary entailing upwards of 17,000 re-inspections.
Amongst these improvements maybe stated the fact that something
over one half of the premises in the Borough have had the
drainage and sanitary arrangements renewed or amended and
left in a satisfactory working condition.
5. As to cleansing and purifying, we can point to the fact
that upwards of 1,578 rooms have been disinfected, many of
which were found by your Officers to be in a verminous condition
and, in addition, about 27,851 articles of beds, bedding,
wearing apparel and the like, have been removed from the
homes and treated by the disinfectors at the station.