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(c) Smoke nuisances. At the present time tlie duty of keeping chimney shaftsunder
observation is carried out by an inspector, who is also concerned with the duties
enumerated in (b). Ihere would be advantage if all the inspectors were instructed to
take note of offences of this character during the discharge of their daily duties, since
by this means observations could be kept daily in different parts of the district. The
need for special observation, involving the watching of one or other chimney shaft will
arise at times. Provision for this is referred to later (see 5 below).
(d) Collection of samples under Food and Druqs Act. The addition of this duty to
the work of the district inspectors would not be onerous. An average of two samples
, week for each of the six inspectors will result in a yearly total of over six hundred.
(3.) The existing arrangement of a special officer for inspection of premises under
the Factory and Workshop Act should be continued, and in view of the number of
laundries and of women employed in them the sanitary authority should consider
as to the desirability of appointing a woman inspector.
(4.) The work in connection with houses let in lodgings will, at the present time
need special attention, inasmuch as already the sanitary authority has placed on the
register a number of these premises, but in many cases no further action has been
taken. Further, information as to the total number in the district which are registrable
and as to the frequency with which they should be inspected, namely, whether they
need inspection, once a month, once in six months, or once in each year, is incomplete.
Registration under the by-laws entails a minimum inspection of this class of house once
a year in order to see if the annual cleansing required by the by-laws has been carried
out. In the case of many houses inspection at this interval of time is sufficient in the
district of Hammersmith, but as regards others more frequent inspection is desirable,
and in order to obtain this information, as well as to ascertain the actual number of
houses let in lodgings as quickly as possible, two inspectors should be
engaged on the work. In order to obtain the services of two officers for
this work with the existing staff of nine inspectors, it will be necessary
to make alteration as regards the duty of the inspector at present specially
engaged in supervising the collection of house refuse and in obtaining samples under
the Food and Drugs Act. The latter part of his work is already arranged for above. As
regards the former, it is, I think, quite unnecessary that a sanitary inspector should
be engaged for the greater part of his time in supervising the carrying out of work by
men employed by the borough council for the purpose of dust collection and under
the supervision of the surveyor. Now that the system of collection has been planned
out and is found to act well, an intelligible and reliable foreman, under the direction
of the surveyor is sufficient for directing the men. The district sanitary inspectors
in the course of their daily house inspections will act as a further check in case of
neglect to remove the house refuse. If this alteration is made, the sanitary inspector
at present occupied in this work will be free for other duties and it will allow two
officers to be engaged in connection with houses let in lodgings.
(5.) In cases in which it is found necessary to make prolonged observation, as
regards smoke nuisance from a chimney, one of the two officers engaged in connection
with houses let in lodgings might be employed.
(6.) In connection with houses let in lodgings, it is desirable that alteration should
be made in the exemption limit at present in force; either the present rent limit should
be raised, or there should be no rent limit at all. In the latter case, it will be necessary
to consider in each case whether the circumstances of the house are such as need the super-
vision intended in the by-laws.
(7.) The sanitary authority should deal with the piggeries which are within the
prescribed distance (namely 40 yards) of Wormwood-scrubs, under Section 17, Public
Health (London) Act, 1891.
C. W. F. Young,
Assistant Medical Officer of Health.