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105
Filthy or Verminous Articles and Premises.
The London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1922, Part 111,
Sections 9 to 14 inclusive, set out, in consolidated form, the statutory
powers to be exercised by Metropolitan Sanitary Authorities, in regard
to filthy or verminous articles and premises, and it will be noticed
that, in each case, a report from the Medical Officer of Health is
necessary, certifying that such verminous articles and premises are a
danger or injurious to health. These statutory powers are permissive
and require, in the first instance, the above-mentioned certificate,
which, in the large majority of cases, cannot be given with any degree
of equity—at least, in the opinion, and as the result of the experience)
of the Lambeth Medical Officer of Health. Verminous articles and
premises are not, necessarily, qud vermin, dangerous or injurious to
health, nor are such verminous articles and premises also necessarily
filthy. It is well known that articles and premises which cannot,
possibly, be classified as "filthy," but, on the contrary, may be
classifiable as "clean," are found to be verminous. In such cases
(and there are many such cases), a certificate of a Medical Officer of
Health would not be justified, or, at least would not be able to be
justified before a Court of Law.
The difficulties, therefore, in administering sections 9 to 14 of the
London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1922, from a practical
point of view, go without saying. The same remarks apply to the
newly-passed (August 4th, 1926) London County Council (General
Powers) Act, 1926, section 44 of which extends the powers of the
London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1922, in regard to
filthy or verminous articles and premises, " to any articles which are
offered or exposed for sale, or stored or deposited with a view to sale
in or upon any stall, space, street, or place, and to any covers or
wrappers of any such articles." It will be noticed that the powers
are still permissive, and contingent upon a certificate from the Medical
Officer of Health. The same difficulties in administration, therefore,
remain in strictly carrying out, in practice, the new powers, which are
now conferred upon Metropolitan Sanitary Authorities.
It must not be supposed, however, that the Lambeth Sanitary Staft
is not alive to its duties in regard to dealing officially (by disinfection