View report page

43
CANAL BOATS ACTS, 1877 and 1884.
By virtue of the Local Government Board Regulations of 17th May, 1878, the Paddington
Borough Council is one of the Registration Authorities for the Regents and Grand Junction Canals,
now the Grand Union Canal. The Medical Officer of Health is the Examining Officer for the purposes
of the Regulations.
Mr. C. S. Wansbrough acted as Canal Boats Inspector during the year.
The following report for the year 1933 was made to the Council by the Medical Officer of Health,
and was adopted by the Council as their statutory report to the Minister of Health as required by
the Canal Boats Act, 1884.

Four formal notices were served.
On no occasion was admission to a boat refused, and no legal proceedings were necessary
in respect of any of the infringements discovered.
There was one case of infectious disease notified, viz.:—Measles.
There was one death reported amongst canal boat dwellers.
No boats were registered.
Eighty-four (84) children of school age were found to be living on the canal boats using the
Paddington Basin, the decrease in comparison with the figure reported last year (105) being due
to more families living ashore.
The total number of boats in respect of which certificates of registration had been issued
at the end of the year was 255.
It is practically certain that a number of boats, registered many years ago, have changed ownership,
been registered with another authority or been broken up. It is under the circumstances
impossible to trace a number of registered boats or to know the exact number of "live" certificates
of registration.
One of the requisites for an inhabited canal boat is that if ordinarily used for the conveyance
of any foul or offensive cargo, it shall contain between the space occupied by such cargo and the
interior of any cabin used as a dwelling, two bulkheads of substantial construction, separated by a
space not less in any part than four inches, open throughout to the external air. Such space must
be furnished with a pump for the removal of any liquid and the bulkhead next to the cargo is to be
watertight.
Until recent years it had not been considered in this Borough that house refuse came within the
scope of the term "foul or offensive" cargo. Steps are now being taken, however, to ensure that
double bulkheads shall be fitted to all inhabited canal boats conveying house refuse, and the owners
of such boats are taking all necessary action to comply with this interpretation of the Regulations.
During the year, 3 inhabited boats known to be conveying house refuse from Paddington Basin,
were fitted with double bulkheads. Three boats still remain to be dealt with. These will be refitted
as circumstances permit.
The annual cleansing at Paddington Basin was carried out during the Easter holidays. About
730 tons of mud were removed from the bed of the Basin, in addition to 661½ tons which were dredged
previously, a total of l,391½tons, being 40 tons more than that removed in 1932.