View report page

24
REMOVAL OF AGED, INFIRM OR PHYSICALLY INCAPACITATED PERSONS.
Under Section 28 of the London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1928, the borough
council have power to remove to a hospital, infirmary, institution or other similar place, aged, infirm
or physically incapacitated persons living under insanitary conditions.
During the year one case was dealt with. It was that of a woman of 78 years of age who
was compulsorily removed in 1929 but had been discharged in April, 1930. This woman made a
practice of wandering the streets in the night-time, collecting old rubbish and storing it in her rooms,
which were consequently in a crowded and offensive condition. As far back as 1925 this woman
came under the notice of the sanitary inspector and, after the instigation of legal proceedings, nine
cartloads of rubbish were removed from her rooms. When she was eventually removed in 1929,
ten cartloads of rubbish (weighing 5 tons 1 cwt.) were removed. On the present occasion, a large
quantity of rubbish was removed, the total weight of which was 3 tons 12 cwts.
THE RATS AND MICE (DESTRUCTION) ACT, 1919.
The council have delegated their powers under the Act to the public health committee, and each
sanitary inspector makes inspections in his district for the purpose of detecting rat-infested
premises and reports to the medical officer of health cases in which the occupiers are not taking
all practicable steps to destroy the rats or to prevent their premises from becoming infested.

During the National Rat Week, held in November, special measures of rat destruction were
put in hand in the borough council sewers, at the borough council depots and on railway and canal
property in the borough. A report of the work done was subsequently published.
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 borough 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 this purpose. It is necessary, however, in the first
place for the council tc 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.
During the year 1933, 287 pigeons were killed and 52 eggs destroyed. Since June, 1928, when
the council first took action under this section, 1,438 pigeons have been destroyed.