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Vestry, in May 1871, to temporarily appoint an Inspector of Dust, whose
whole time should be devoted to the work. The Vestry having adopted this
recommendation, the Inspector, who has been twice re-appointed, has ever
since been constantly engaged, chiefly in inspecting from house to house
those districts most likely to be neglected, and in obtaining evidence
and making enquiries in all cases of alleged neglect or refusal on the part
of the dustmen. Such an officer, it appears to me, has now become absolutely
indispensable, and in my opinion it is very desirable that his services
should be permanently retained, for in any case there must always be plenty
of work, and his salary is only a small per centage upon the sums now paid to
the Contractors.
The Committee authorised the distribution of Cards stamped with the
letter D, which the Contractors are bound under their contract to take notice
of (when properly exhibited) under penalties. The Sanitary Inspectors, as
well as the Inspector of Dust, observe these D's and report them in their
Diaries, but of course, it is only possible for them to see those which may
happen to be shewn in the several streets through which they may
pass in the ordinary course of their other work.
In connection with this D, the following circumstance is worthy of note.
A private inhabitant recently summoned one of the Contractors to the
Clerkenwell Police Court, alleging that a D had been exhibited in a window
of his house for six consecutive days, and this having been proved, the
magistrate, after taking time to consider his decision, convicted the defendant
of neglect, and fined him 5s. and 4s. costs, the Magistrate however, at the
same time offering to grant the defendant a case to be taken to a Superior
Court, upon the point as to whether a private person has the right to prosecute
a Contractor, but the offer of the Magistrate was declined.
In another case which was brought before a Magistrate by a parishioner,
it was decided that clinker or other refuse from fuel used in the process of
manufacturing or for other trade purposes, was not the refuse of a trade ;
and that, therefore, the contractors were obliged to remove it as dust.
The Sanitary Inspectors have also continued to take cognizance of accu.
mulations found by them from time to time upon premises which have come
under their inspection, but in addition they have also been occasionally employed
by the Committee in visiting from house to house, for the express purpose
of securing the Contractors' attention to whole streets in neglected districts.
From January, 1871, to the present time (June, 1872), the Committee have
had to give a great deal of time to the investigation and consideration of