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Home of about 20 beds at Dagenham, and referred the subject back
to the Public Health Committee for further reports and estimates.
General Sanitary Administration.—At the beginning
of the year the staff was concentrated at the Stratford office, and two
additional Inspectors of Nuisances were appointed. The increase in the
staff enabled me to divide the Borough into 12 districts, and by
utilising to a further extent the out-door services of the two Senior
Inspectors (Mr. W. Evans and Mr. T. W. Crocker) to practically
increase the number of officers available for regular inspections from
eight to twelve.
It was felt by some members that the disuse of Canning Town
office was an unwise step, but the fact remains that an enormous
increase of work was carried out last year which, in my opinion,
could not have been done with a divided office. The details of this
work will be seen in the various tables at the end of this report, but
as confirmation of my above-expressed opinion, I cite the number of
nuisances discovered, and the number of notices served last year
compared with the previous year :—
Nuisances discovered 1898
1899 29,629
1898 5,484
Notices served 1899 9,503
At the end of 1898, the Council instructed me to institute a houseto-house
inspection of the whole Borough, the details of which will be
found reprinted at the end of this report. This action is partly
responsible for the large increase in both nuisances discovered and
notices served. It has also naturally led to a large increase in sanitary
works executed, with a corresponding outlay on the part of the
owners of property, which has given rise to the expressed opinion on
the part of some that your Inspectors are exceeding their duty. Such
is not the case. One simple explanation will be patent at once.
Before the passing of the West Ham Corporation Act, 1898, my
Inspectors dealt only with the branch drains, the main drains were
repaired by the Borough Engineer at the cost of the ratepayers.