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212
1905]
work. The latter class of complaint is one that is only practised by a low
class of jobbing workmen, who, knowing that if a sanitary inspector visits a
particular house and finds some sanitary defects he will be employed to do the
work.
It ought to be generally understood that the names of persons making
complaint are never divulged, and although during the last 14 years, in which
the present Medical Officer of Health has been head of the Public Health
Department, thousands of persons have sought to gain the information, the
name of a complainant has never been disclosed.
This is a practice which it is believed obtains in every well conducted
Public Health Department throughout the country, for it is clear that otherwise
a certain class of property owners would have no hesitation in evicting
their tenants forthwith.
It has had, however, one very unfortunate drawback, which is that in
some instances the landlord has wrongfully suspected his tenant of having
made complaint when, as a matter of fact, it has been made by a neighbour or
by some person visiting the house. This, of course, applies almost entirely to
houses occupied by more than one family.