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This bye-law shall cease to be in force after the first day of August, 1926, unless a bye-law
confirming and continuing its provisions has been duly made and come into force before that date.
This bye-law is enforced by the Medical Officer of Health and his staff. During 1924 and 1925
no prosecutions were instigated, but numerous verbal warnings to offenders were given. The publicity
which has been given to the bye-law has had good effect in causing many dog-owners to be more
careful. One minor difficulty in enforcing the bye-law is that an offender cannot be compelled to
divulge his identity, and cannot be given in charge as the police do not enforce the bye-law.
Notices concerning the bye-law were twice posted on shingle-bins throughout the borough, and
twice enclosed with rate demand notes.
CANAL BOATS ACTS, 1877 AND 1884.
By virtue of the Local Government Board Regulations of May 17th, 1878, the Paddington Borough
Council is one of the Registration Authorities for the Regent's and Grand Junction Canals. The Medical
Officer of Health is the Examining Officer for the purpose of the Regulations, and Mr. E. J. Potter is
Inspector of Canal Boats.
On June 9th, 1925, the Canal Boats Amendment Regulations, 1925, came into force. These
regulations amend the Canal Boats Regulations of 1878 by definitely placing on the owner of a canal
boat the obligation of maintaining it in the condition required for registration, and in case of default
the suspension or cancellation of the registration may be ordered by a Court.
The obligation on the owner of a boat to notify the name of a newly-appointed master to the
registration authority is also abrogated by the new order. In practice such notification was unnecessary
and had fallen into disuse.
At the Easter clean-up of the Paddington Basin there were in 1924, 377½ tons of mud removed,
723 square yards of concreting laid, 60 cubic feet of brickwork repaired and 49 square yards of pointing
done by the Grand Junction Canal Company.
In 1925 the figures were, 711½ tons of mud, 697 square yards of concreting, 247½ cubic feet of
brickwork and 6 square yards of pointing, in addition to 169 feet of concrete coping done.
The following reports were made to the Council by the Medical Officer of Health and were adopted
by the Council as their statutory reports to the Ministry as required by the Canal Boats Act, 1884.

On no occasion was admission to a boat refused and no legal proceedings were necessary against
either the owner or occupier of any boat. Seventeen (17) notices were served and twenty-two (22)
letters sent to various persons relating to registration of boats, etc.
There were four (4) cases of infectious disease notified during the year, three of Measles (females,
11, 9 and 11) and one of Diphtheria (male 4). Three deaths occurred during the year among the
boat population, two from Bronchial Pneumonia and one from Heart Disease.
Three boats were registered, one new and two owing to change of ownership. There were no
registrations of boats propelled by steam or motor power.
One hundred and six (106) children were found to be living on boats, fifty-seven (57) being of
school age.
The total number of boats on the Register at the end of 1924 was two hundred and forty-three
(243), one being a motor boat. Only one hundred and thirty-one (131) of this total can be traced.
Several of the boats have been temporarily dismantled by having some of the fittings removed. Efforts
have been made by the Inspector to get the dismantled canal boats with dilapidated cabins put in
repair, or the cabins removed and the boat taken off the Register of Canal Boats, but without much
success.
The Inspector has devoted on an average one day a week during the year to inspecting canal
boats.