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in their report to the borough council on 20th November, 1901, having set out this report of the
medical officer of health, state as follows—
Upon the receipt of the foregoing report, we, as a temporary measure, assigned to the new inspector
the duty of inspecting factories and workshops, which had previously been carried out by Inspector
S. H. Brown, and assigned to the latter inspector the duties transferred from the London County
Council and those relating to smoke inspection. We were not, however, able to arrange for the whole
time of any one of the inspectors to be devoted to the inspection of houses let in lodgings.
We have carefully considered the proposal of the medical officer of health that a further additional
sanitary inspector should be appointed, and also a report, presented by our chairman, suggesting
the re-arrangement of the sanitary districts and of the duties of the sanitary inspectors, in order to
avoid the necessity of appointing another inspector. Particulars have been obtained as to the system
in operation in other metropolitan boroughs with regard to the allocation of the duties of sanitary
inspectors, from which it appears that it is the general practice to divide the borough into sanitary
districts, with a sanitary inspector to each who practically carries out all the duties of a sanitary
inspector in the particular district assigned to him, with the exception that certain special duties,
which vary in the different boroughs, are as a rule carried out by one or more inspectors specially
appointed for the whole borough.
So far as Hammersmith is concerned we have at present four district inspectors and four inspectors
whose duties are concerned with the whole borough, the latter being—
1. Inspector Oatley—Dust inspector and inspector under the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts ;
2. Inspector Gee—House to house inspector ;
3. Inspector S. H. Brown—who attends to smoke cases, and duties transferred from the
London County Council;
4. Inspector Neighbour—Factories and workshops inspector;
so that under the system at present in force it is quite possible for four inspectors to be inspecting in
the same road on the same day.
We are of opinion that this system must of necessity entail considerable overlapping, besides an
immense expenditure of labour, with but few, if any, corresponding advantages.
We therefore recommend—
(a) That the borough be divided into six sanitary districts, instead of four as at present.
(b) That one inspector be appointed to each of the six districts, with instructions to carry out
the whole of the sanitary duties, including the inspection of factories, workshops, laundries, bakehouses,
and every month to inspect 50 houses let in lodgings, and make 50 house to house inspections
in his district, and report the result thereof at the first meeting of the committee in each
month.
(c) That the time of the seventh inspector be devoted to cases of smoke nuisance, and to
carrying out the whole of the duties transferred from the London County Council.
(d) That no alteration be made in the duties of Inspector Oatley.
(e) That the six districts to be assigned to the sanitary inspectors be as follows : —
No. 1 District to consist of the whole of the No. 1 Ward (approximate number of dwellings,
2,707 ; estimated population, 16,931).
No. 2 District to consist of the whole of the No. 2 Ward (approximate number of dwellings,
4,132 ; estimated population, 25,838).
No. 3 District to consist of the whole of the No. 3 Ward (approximate number of dwellings,
3,809 ; estimated population, 23,819).
No. 4 District to consist of the whole of the No. 4 Ward, with the addition of so much of
the No. 6 Ward as is bounded on the east by the West London Railway, as far as an imaginary
line drawn in an easterly direction from the centre of Ducane-road ; on the west by the centre
of Ormiston-road, and by an imaginary line drawn in a northerly direction from Ormiston-road
to Ducane-road ; on the north by the centre of Ducane-road ; on the south by the northern
boundary of No. 4 Ward (approximate number of dwellings, 2,755; estimated population,
17,232).
No. 5 District to consist of the whole of the No. 5 Ward, with the addition of so much of
the No. 6 Ward as is bounded on the north by the south side of Ducane-road ; on the east by
the proposed No. 4 sanitary district; on the west by the western boundary of the borough ;
and on the south by the northern boundary of the No. 5 Ward (approximate number of
dwellings, 2,849 ; estimated population, 17,819).
No. 6 District to consist of the whole of the present No. 7 Ward, with the whole of that
portion of the No. 6 Ward which is not included in either of the proposed No. 4 or No. 5
sanitary districts (approximate number of dwellings, 1,693 ; estimated population, 10,594).
The borough council did not adopt this report of the committee, and referred the question
back to the committee for further consideration. On the 18th December following the
committee again reported, stating they had adjourned the discussion on the proposals contained
in the last report, but recommended tlie appointment of an additional inspector. The committee
also reported at this meeting of the borough council that they had received a letter
from the Local Government Board, adverting to the remarks of the medical officer of health of
Hammersmith, in his annual report for 1900, with reference to the urgent necessity for an
increase of the sanitary staff, and asking what action the borough council had taken or propose
to take in the matter, and recommended that the Board be informed that an additional
inspector had been appointed in March, 1901, and another was about to be appointed.
In November, 1901, the Public Health Committee of the London County Council had
under consideration the result of an inquiry as to the action taken by London sanitary authorities
under the by-laws as to houses let in lodgings. The information obtained as regards
Hammersmith was to the effect that there were about 800 houses on the register, that the district
inspectors (four in number) were instructed to keep them under inspection, but had no
time to do so, and that many of the houses had not been visited since registration. Thereupon
it was decided that inquiry into the sanitary administration of the district, having regard more
especially to the enforcement of the by-laws as to houses let in lodgings, should be made. The
facts as to the condition of the district obtained during this inquiry are set out in the foregoing
part of the report. It is necessary to add that at the time when I commenced inspection
of the district the additional inspector had just taken up office, and one of the staff of inspectors
had been allotted entirely to the work of visiting houses let in lodgings, and is now engaged
in obtaining particulars as to the premises which are already on the register.