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156
SANITARY INSPECTORS' WORK, HOUSE
TO HOUSE INSPECTION, OVERCROWDING,
&C., AND POLICE COURT
PROCEEDINGS.
Where w.c. pans and traps are fixed without notice being given
under Clause 14 of the London County Council Bye-laws, Section 39 (1)
of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, the builder is written to asking
him to open the ground, otherwise the matter will be reported to the
Public Health and Housing Committee in order that legal proceedings
may be instituted against him for infringing the bye-law. This mode of
procedure prevents good work being constructed on to defective work.
Whenever drainage work has been found to have been done and covered
up without inspection, if the builder will not open the ground, the work
is exposed by the Sanitary Authority, and such a line of action ensures
sound work. For fixing in pans and traps without giving the proper
notice no legal proceedings were instituted, but in one instance for having
done work and covering up without inspection, authority was obtained
from the Committee to open the ground, and the builder was summoned
for repairing the drain so as to be a nuisance and injurious and
dangerous to health. A penalty of £6 was inflicted, with £2 2s. costs.
In 1904 the journals of the Sanitary Inspectors were examined from
the date of the coming into operation of the Public Health (London) Act,
1891, and lists were compiled (which involved a large amount of work)
of houses not inspected, and also those inspected with the number of
inspections made. Lists of houses not inspected were given to the
Inspectors with instructions to inspect such premises as soon as possible.
The inspection of these premises is now being completed. The
inspections have taken a long time as many defective drainage systems
had been discovered, which had to be rectified before furthur inspections
were made and fresh drainage work created. See Inspectors' Eeports,
pages 190, and 196.