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by your Vestry, and carried through, at an enormous expense, in the
brickburning case, the proceedings having extended over a period of
twelve months. I do not say that equal difficulty or delay would be
experienced in proving nuisance on the premises of a marine store
dealer; but in each case the nuisance would have to be proved;
whereas, if the conduct of the business were regulated by bye-laws,
it would only be necessary to prove breach of the bye-laws in order to
secure the infliction of a fine, &c.; and thus power to prevent nuisance
from a trade which is admittedly a frequent cause of nuisance, would be
materially increased. The Council seem to object to a duty " entailing
the making of bye-laws, and arranging a system of inspection, affecting
the several hundreds of these businesses which there are ... at
the present time in London." Put if they would obtain an order and
make bye-laws, the several sanitary authorities could do the work of
inspection. Such a devolution of powers would be consistent with the
recommendations of the Royal Commission on the " amalgamation of
the City and County of London," and, I believe, would be agreable to
the Council, as among the resolutions of the Conference between
representatives of the Council and of the Vestries, &c., convened " to
consider and report what powers now possessed by the Council should
be transferred to Local Authorities," the following one was adopted :—
" Offensive Businesses.—That the powers of the Council under
Section 19 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, to declare a
business to be an offensive business, should be transferred to the local
authorities."
' It will probably be the pleasure of your Vestry to let this matter
rest for the present, to see what effect, if any, is given to the above
resolution. Meantime, I have thought it well to place the above statement
on record, and I will only further add that within the last few
days a letter has been received from a parishioner making complaint of
the " vile odours and most disgusting smells" from which he suffers from
the propinquity of a " rag and bone dealer's " place to his residence."
The matter was allowed to drop. I have only to add
that the several premises where the business is carried on, are
regularly inspected by the several Sanitary Inspectors. The
particular premise-), in respect of which the complaint arose,
which gave occasion to the reports made in 1883, have long
since ceased to be used for the conduct of the business; it is a
significant fact that the locality is still infested with rats to
an extraordinary extent, if the complaints of the inhabitants
are to be believed.