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The collection of house refuse in the district and the cleansing of the streets is carried out by
the sanitary authority. For the purpose of collecting the house refuse from all premises once in each
week the district has been divided into five divisions, each of these has been again divided into three
sub-divisions, and each of the latter is visited by the dustman twice in each week; but it is not the
custom to call at each house, dependence being placed upon the householder giving some indication
that the dust requires removal, and for this purpose the vestry annually distribute to all householders
a card bearing the letter D and giving information as to days when the street is visited.
During the inspection I obtained evidence which leaves no doubt that the system fails to
ensure a weekly removal of house refuse. In 37 instances I noted accumulation of refuse of more
than one week's duration. In some cases the householders were satisfied that the removal was effected
frequently enough when they had it collected after two or three weeks, but in other cases complaint
was made of difficulty which had been experienced in obtaining the removal; and at one house where
there was an undue accumulation it was stated that the dustmen had refused to collect it, owing to the
oart being full, and had informed the householder that they would call for it on the next usual day
when they were in the street.
The dust carts, when loaded, convey the refuse to the vestry's wharf, where it is sorted and
sifted by hand labour (men and women being employed for this purpose), and then removed by barges.
The wharf is situated on the southern bank of the river Thames, in the parish of Lambeth, and/is a
considerable distance from the district of Clerkenwell.
For the disinfection of articles of clothing and bedding, the vestry have at the present time a
dry heat apparatus, but they have recently had under consideration the desirability of providing a
steam disinfector, and have now resolved to provide one forthwith. Rooms are disinfected by means
of burning sulphur, this duty being carried out by an officer of the authority.
A shelter for the use of persons during the time that their dwellings are undergoing this
process has been provided. This is situated in Northampton-street, and in it two rooms have
been fitted up as bedrooms for the use of families, a third as a sleeping and day room, and a
fourth as a sitting room. There is no bath-room. The house is in charge of a caretaker, who
lives in the next house and who does the cooking required by persons during the time they are in the
shelter. The shelter is also used by the inhabitants of the district of Holborn. It is stated that the
shelter has been but little utilized by residents in Clerkenwell.
A mortuary, having separate rooms for bodies of persons dying from infectious and noninfectious
complaints, as well as a post-mortem room, has been provided in conjunction with the
coroners' court.
For the sanitary administration of the parish the vestry have appointed a medical officer of
health who devotes his whole time to the duties of the office, and three sanitary inspectors, to each of
whom a district has been allotted, in which each inspector carries out all duties connected with the
administration of the Public Health Act, and also collects samples under the Food and Drugs Act. In
addition there is an assistant who carries out the disinfection of articles of clothing and of rooms, and
also assists in distributing intimation notices. The vestry also employ an inspector to supervise the
cleansing of the streets and the collection of house refuse, this officer however is not one of the sanitary
staff, but is under the control of the surveyor.
The sanitary inspectors are under the supervision of the medical officer of health. They attend
daily at the offices of the vestry in Rosebery-avenue in order to interview builders and others, and to
do the clerical work connected with the execution of their inspectorial duties, no clerical assistance for
the sanitary department having been provided by the vestry at the time of the inquiry.
The books kept at the office include a complaint book in which are entered all complaints
received with particulars relating to them, intimation and statutory notice books, and also a book
showing the result of legal proceedings in cases where it ha3 been necessary to obtain summonses in
order to enforce compliance with the requirements of notices. Further, there is a register relating to
cases of infectious disease occurring in the district, and a book containing a list of those workshops
which have up to the present time been visited. There is no register of tenement houses.
The vestry have made by-laws under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, for the prevention
of nuisances, the paving of yards, the cleansing of cisterns, and the provision of waterclosets with
adequate water supply. By-laws under section 94 of the above Act as to houses let in lodgings havs
also been drafted, but have not yet been confirmed by the Local Government Board. These draft
by-laws differ from the model by-laws of the Local Government Board in that it is proposed that the
minimum amount of cubic space to be required in rooms used both as day and sleeping rooms shall be
350 feet and not 400 feet, and in extending the age limit of children from 10 to 12 years of age.
In concluding this report on the sanitary condition of Clerkenwell it is to be observed that
there is evidence that a considerable amount of work has been and is being done for the removal of
insanitary conditions and for maintaining premises in a proper state of repair.
I am satisfied, however, that there is need for a systematic house to house inspection throughout
the district. By such means the sanitary authority can obtain a complete knowledge of the tenement
houses needing periodical inspection and regulation, and of the workshops which should come under
their supervision.
Since the appointment of a third inspector twelve months ago, effort has been made to carry out
a house to house inspection. As the result, however, of the claims made upon the inspectors' time by duties
arising from the complaints which are received and in connection with the notification of cases of infectious
disease, it does not appear that the inspection I refer to has made any material progress. The inability of
the inspectors to undertake this duty undoubtedly raises question as to the sufficiency of their number.