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46
THE WORK OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO THE MATERNITY AND
CHILD WELFARE COMMITTEE.
This Committee was formally constituted by the Council in 1920, and is composed of two
representatives appointed by each of the eight Infant Welfare Centres, with two appointed by
the Baby Clinic.

Mrs. Burne was re-appointed Chairman and Mrs. Swan Vice-Chairman.
Various matters in connection with the work of the Infant Welfare Centres and maternity
and child welfare generally were considered by the Committee at their meetings during the year.
The members of the Advisory Committee possess expert knowledge in regard to many branches
of Maternity and Child Welfare work, and it is owing largely to this fact that the Council's scheme
operates so smoothly and successfully.
HOUSING.
In previous annual reports, various questions in regard to housing have been considered on
the basis of figures obtained from the last census returns, which have been brought up to date
in regard to population by the addition of the births taking place in the borough and the various
wards thereof and the subtraction of the deaths.
Owing to the volume of inward and outward migration of persons, both in regard to the
borough and the various wards, which has taken place since the census year of 1921, the figures
for population cannot be relied upon, with the result that any deductions made therefrom may
be erroneous. In these circumstances, it is probably wise to limit this year's report to a consideration
of the work in regard to housing carried out recently and to await the next census
returns before attempting to arrive at conclusions based on statistics.
STEPS TAKEN BY THE COUNCIL TO SECURE AND MAINTAIN A HIGHER
STANDARD OF HABITABILITY IN HOUSES.
Every house in the borough is inspected after a case of infectious disease has been reported
therefrom and on receipt of a complaint. The number of houses so inspected in 1929 was 3,552
and the total number of inspections paid to these houses was 14,264.
Each of the ten district sanitary inspectors attempts to make a routine inspection of ten
houses every month, but owing to pressure of other work, the number of these inspections in 1929
was only 675. This inspection or survey includes the ascertainment of the cubic capacity of all
the rooms, the testing of the drainage system and the preparation of a list of all defects found
and improvements required.
In addition to this routine work, special efforts have been made in recent years and those
for 1929 may be described briefly under the following headings:—
Inspections of Houses Let in Lodgings.—Registration of houses let in lodgings commenced
in 1886 and at the beginning of the year 1929 there were 3,402 on the register. During the year,
three houses were added to and fifty were removed from the register owing to the number of
families therein having changed; therefore at the end of 1929, the number remaining on the
register was 3,355.
For many years past, the district sanitary inspectors have endeavoured to visit every
registered house in the borough at least once a year but, as a result of the increase in the number
of houses on the register and the volume of other work, it has been found impossible to make an
inspection of all registered houses during a period of twelve months. In the year 1929, the
number of registered houses inspected was 1,192, and the visits paid to these houses numbered
7,668.