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of food or in the cleansing of premises or equipment? The extent to which people now take meals
in restaurants and canteens has resulted in an increase in cases of bacterial food poisoning, because
more persons may be infected from a single source, and high standards of food hygiene are therefore
more important than ever. If there were competition for customers it might be worth while experimenting
with the issuo of Certificates to establishments which attained a satisfactory standard' of
hygiene in premises, equipment and staff, but at the present time there are more customers than can
be accommodated, and the exhibition of a food hygiene certificate would bo of no material value.
Moreover there is a shortago of labour and therefore it is difficult for managers to enforce standards.
Until general conditions are easier it. seems impossible to make much progress, but no opportunity
should be missed of emphasising that food hygiene depends primarily on the individual food handlers,
none of whom would deliberately poison anybody, but many of whom do in fact cause food poisoning
by ignorance, indifference or carelessness.
Strike at Bishopsgate Goods Depot.
In April, as a result of a strike amongst the cartage men employed by the L. & N. E. Railway at
Bishopsgate Depot, a number of small consignments of perishable foodstuffs accumulated at the
Parcels Depot. About a ton of poultry and rabbits and a quantity of shell-fish became unfit for
human consumption. On the initiative of one of your food inspectors, a quantity of sound pies,
poultry and shellfish were, with the consent of the Strike Committee, removed to the local hospitals
in a van hired for the purpose. Had this food remained in the parcels office to the end of the strike, it
would have become unsound.
Strike of Cleansing Department Staff.
In May there was a strike of members of the Corporation's Cleansing Department. This did not
lead to any loss of foodstuffs but caused anxiety by reason of the accumulation of food refuse, particularly
in Billingsgate and Leadenhall Markets. A plan was drawn up for appointing 18 sites in the
" blitzed " area of the City, easily accessible and well away from inhabited buildings, where refuse
could be dumped by the occupiers of premises. It was proposed to burn as much refuse as possible
on these sites and to treat the remainder so as to minimise any nuisance from smell and flies. The
strike collapsed the day before the scheme was to be put into operation, but the list of sites and a
spot map is filed in case of similar trouble in the future.
Dumping of Refuse in War-damaged Premises.
Considerable trouble was experienced during the year from the dumping of refuse in the open
basements and derelict buildings in areas of the City destroyed by enemy action. The principal
difficulty has been with discarded fish-boxes in the Billingsgatearea. Every effort was made to get
these boxes salvaged, but nobody would accept the responsibility for collecting them from the deep,
open basements into which most of them were thrown. Meanwhile, during the hot summer complaints
were numerous, and so it was decided to abate the nuisance by burning them on the sites, on a Sunday
when adjacent business premises were unoccupied. The burning was carried out on two occasions,
under close supervision as to fire risks, at a total cost for labour of about £50.
The owner of unoccupied property is responsible for the abatement of any nuisance on his
premises. The conditions arising from war damage are exceptional, but when nuisance arises from the
unauthorised dumping of refuse on or in "blitzed" premises, the owner is called upon to carry out
the necessary work. Naturally the owner feels aggrieved that he is involved in expense through no
fault of his own. This is particularly the case when all that remains of his premises is the deep, open
basement, clear of all rubble, the removal of anything from the bottom of which is a laborious
business. The alternative would appear to be the enclosure of basements by solid fencing to a height
of.six feet or more. This would be expensive and unsightly.
Though special bye-laws making it an offence to deposit refuse on any war-damaged site, whether
public or private property, would not entirely prevent the nuisance, they would at least entitle the
police to take action if they observed the dumping of refuse, whatever its nature, on any private
property.
Housing.
During the year 47 families were rehoused and at the end of the year 378 families remained on
the waiting list. In my last annual report I referred to the Corporation's proposal to erect a block of
some 250 flats on a "blitzed" site in the Bridgewater Square area. After much discussion the scheme
had to be abandoned, as the Minister of Health was unable to approve the compulsory purchase of
the site.
The Public Health Committee have since given careful consideration to the possibility of finding
a site outside the City, on which flats could be erected for the relief of the City's housing problem.
There is no need for me to emphasise the importance of the provision of suitable .and sufficient housing'
accommodation, though the ill effects, physical, psychological and social, of the post-war housing
problem, can only be fully appreciated by those who are brought into personal touch with
homeless, overcrowded or wretchedly housed families.
Medical Examinations of Staff.
Your Medical Officer of Health carries out the medical examination of candidates for appointment
to the staff of any of the departments of the Corporation, and of any members of the staff who
appear to be unable to carry out their duties because of ill health. During the year 254 persons were
so examined.
In addition medical examinations or enquiries have to be made in cases of prolonged sickness.
These frequently involve correspondence with medical attendants and hospital superintendents.
Enquiries were made in regard to 21 cases, and the courtesy with which such enquiries were answered
is gratefully acknowledged.