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their agents to carry out any measures I have had occasion
to suggest, and only in one instance has it been necessary
to condemn a house as unfit for habitation, and this has
remained closed and unoccupied ever since.
"Dust.—The collection of refuse, an institution of only
about a couple of years' standing in the district, is not only
an expensive, but important, sanitary work, and neither
pains nor expense should be spared to make it thoroughly
efficient. Decomposing vegetables and other matter
commonly stored either within or close to dwelling-houses,
and from which the gases evolved are constantly wafted
through the building, are not only offensive, but highly
dangerous, and should be frequently and regularly removed.
Early in the year it seemed desirable, and an arrangement-
was made, that those groups of cottages where a large
number of people are crowded into a small space, should
be visited by the dust collector on a certain day and at
regular intervals. Many complaints have been received that
the collector fails to call, although notice is placed in the
window. These have been at once referred by the inspector
to the contractor, and, I understand, are all promptly attended
to. Perhaps if in addition to placing the card in
the window the cry of the collector were listened for it
might often save the trouble of sending to the office and thus
avoid delay.
"Adulteration of Food.—An analyst was not appointed
by the Court of Quarter Sessions until October, since which
time the inspector has submitted for examination samples
of mustard and coffee, both of which were pronounced pure;
also seven samples of milk, three of which were found to
be adulterated and the vendors prosecuted and fined. By
a singular coincidence, to say the least, this adulterated
milk was obtained from the very same limited area in
which occurred the deaths of the young children from
diarrhoea, which were referred to in my report for October,
and which were the subject of a correspondence at that
time between the Local Government Board and myself,
with by no means, in my opinion, a satisfactory result, at
any rate so far as the prevention of such singular coincidences
in the future.