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90
No important amount of routine inspection of those houses which are not
already subject to periodical inspection can he looked for from the present
inspectors so long as they have their present duties also to perform, and
I consider that with a view to carrying out the proposed work at a reasonable
rate, including the enforcement of the necessary repairs and alterations, six
additional Sanitary Inspectors are the least that can be asked for. They should
be restricted to this work only. In addition the present eleven district
inspectors should devote as much of their time as can be spared for it, to the
same work. At least one additional clerk will be needed to cope with the
increased clerical work which will result, and it is possible that still more
help in this direction may be required.
It should be mentioned that the sanction of the Ministry of Health will be
required to the proposal to appoint more Sanitary Inspectors, and that subject
to this, one half of their salaries will be repayable to the Council through the
London County Council. It is clearly desirable that the question of the salaries
of the Saniiary Inspectors, now under consideration, should be settled before
new appointments are made.
The occasion is appropriate to draw attention to the present insufficient and
unsuitable accommodation which is allotted to the Public Health Department.
If the staff is further increased this difficulty will be accentuated and the
efficiency of the department definitely hampered by the bad accommodation.
The consideration of the question of the better housing of the department
ought not long to be deferred.
I am, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your obedient servant,
T. Shadick Higgins,
Medical Officer of Health.
4. Water Supply.—The principal defect in this respect is the lack of water
supply and sinks in the separate dwellings in tenement houses. The matter
is referred to on pages 81-86. Since the early days of the war, action in this
respect under Section 78 of the London County Council (General Powers)
Act, 1907, has been suspended.
Closet Accommodation.—The provision of water-closets is universal throughout
the borough, and the chief defect is the lack of separate private closets
for the individual dwellings in tenement houses (see pages 81-86).
Befuse Disposal.— There remains a small proportion of ash-bins of the fixed
type, but the majority of houses in the borough are provided with moveable
" sanitary bins." In the tenement houses there is usually a single bin in the
yard for the whole house, and in such circumstances there is commonly a good
deal of untidiness in the management of the dust-bin. The system of removal
is weekly throughout most of the borough, though in the case of certain
premises a more frequent removal is practised. The collection is effected by
the Works Department and the bulk of the house refuse is burnt at the
borough destructor. The remainder is taken by contract for dumping in the
country by canal and rail as is also the destructor clinker. Owing to lack of
labour at the destructor and difficulties in regard to transport experienced by
the contractors, the weekly service was not maintained throughout the year,
and at times there were considerable accumulations of refuse uncollected,