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30
FOULING OF FOOTPATHS BY DOGS.
Towards the end of 1921, the Council succeeded in obtaining the approval of the following
by-law for the good rule and government of the Royal Borough:—
" No person being in charge of a dog in any street or public place and having the dog on a
lead shall allow or permit such dog to deposit its excrement upon the public footway.
" Any person offending against this by-law shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding 40s.
" This by-law shall cease to be in force after the 31st day of December, 19'23, unless a
by-law confirming and continuing its provisions has been duly made and come into
force before that date."
This by-law was made in pursuance of Section 23 of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1882,
Section 16 of the Local Government Act, 1888, and Section 5 of the London Government Act,
1889. In 1923 the by-law was sanctioned without limit of time and the Council now have a
permanent measure by which they can secure a considerable improvement in the cleanliness of
the public footways.
The Council have issued leaflets which have been posted on lamp-posts and in various places
in the borough, and delivered by hand to a large number of dog-owners. Attention has been
called to the by-law by slips attached to the rate dem'and notices and the matter has received
notice in the local press. Two officers in the Public Health Department make observations and
during 1930 they reported seven breaches of the by-law to the Public Health Committee.
Summonses were taken out and fines of 10s. 6d. on three occasions and 10s. in three cases and 5s.
in one were imposed.
The number of convictions under this by-law during the past nine years is 56.
NUISANCES FROM PIGEONS.
Section 52 of the London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1927, provides that, for the
purpose of abating or mitigating any nuisance, annoyance or damage caused by the congregation at
any place in the borough of house doves or pigeons having, or believed by the Council to have no
owner, or of preventing or minimising any such nuisance, annoyance or damage which might, in
the opinion of the Council, be so caused, the Council may seize and destroy or sell any such house
doves or pigeons in excess of such number as the Council may consider reasonable, and take such
steps as they may deem necessary for such purpose. It is necessary, however, in the first place for
the Council to obtain consent to the measures adopted by them from the person or body in whom
the building or land upon which the birds congregate is vested.
In, June, 1928, the Council authorised the destruction of 500 Pigeons, and by May, 1930, this
number had been disposed of. The Council thereupon ordered the destruction of a further 300
birds.
In 1930, 136 pigeons were destroyed, making a total of 598 since Section 52 of the London
County Council (General Powers) Act, 1927, came into operation.
Much difficulty has been experienced in carrying out pigeon destruction, owing to the
opposition of the public. Indeed, it has been found almost useless to attempt to catch pigeons on
a public highway owing to interference from neighbouring residents and other persons, and the
obstruction caused to traffic by the fixing of pigeon traps.
The best results have been obtained at churches and other institutions where there are
enclosed spaces in which the man can operate and to which the public cannot gain admission.
ENQUIRY INTO CONDITIONS PREVAILING IN SHOPS
For the purpose of supplying information to a Select Committee of the House of Commons, I
was asked to make an inspection of shops in the borough in eighteen different classes of business.
On receiving the sanction of the Council, this inspection was commenced during the Summer and
a report was submitted to the Home Office before the end of the year. This report was circuated
to the members of the Council's Public Health Committee, and it will be sufficient here to
say that the investigation did not disclose conditions calling for drastic action, although there was
found to be room for improvements in certain respects.
INSPECTION OF PUBLIC HOUSES.
It has not hitherto been the custom for officers of the Public Health Department to enter
licensed premises except for the purpose of supervising drainage work, making investigations on
the occurrence of cases of infectious disease on the premises, or purchasing samples under the Food
and Drugs Acts. When visits have been paid to public houses, the only examinations made have
been those arising in connection with the special enquiry. Thus, there has been no definite routine
supervision undertaken by the local authority in respect of the sanitary conditions in the cellars
of public houses or behind the bars, these being places where the public do not have access and
where possibly insanitary conditions might exist.
This matter received the consideration of the Public Health Committee during the year and they
gave instructions for a number of public houses to be inspected and a report prepared. This report
was circulated to the members of the Council, and instructions were subsequently given to me for
a routine inspection to be made of all public houses in the borough with a view to securing such
improvements in the sanitary conditions as seemed desirable.
At the time of writing this report, the total number of public houses inspected has been 23.