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Section 5 of the amended Act provides that the Local
Authority may lease any land acquired to a lessee under the
condition that the lessee will carry the Act out. The Local
Authority "shall insert in any lease provisions binding the lessee
to build on the land as in the lease prescribed, and to maintain
and repair the buildings," so as to secure the buildings being
used exclusively as lodging-houses within the meaning of the Act.
The amended Act is of some considerable interest just now,
the Improvement and Housing Committee having its provisions
under consideration.
CLERICAL WORK OF THE SANITARY
DEPARTMENT.
Mr. J. Curtis, assisted by Mr. W. J. Howe, continues to perform
the clerical duties of the department, which include the
preparation and despatch of the many notices and letters arising
from the employment of the inspectorial staff and out of Committee
meetings, the keeping of the registers of nuisances, of
infectious disease notifications, and of registered houses, the
preparation for Committee meetings and reports to the Council,
enquiries by the public, and numerous smaller matters. Among
the latter may be mentioned acting as a telephonic exchange
for the whole establishment, this necessitates many and constant
interruptions. It must be added that this clerical work—
comprising all the above details and the drafting of important
letters and reports—has to be performed in an office used by
seven Sanitary Inspectors, two Disinfectors, the Dust Contractors'
Foremen, and the general public; circumstances which
make the duties of the Clerks less easy of execution than if the
surroundings were quieter.
Mr. Curtis' exceptional abilities have received somewhat
tardy recognition by his appointment as Clerk to the Public
Health Committee at a slightly increased salary. The duties
of such a post, owing to the transfer of all questions of sanitary
detail from the Council to the Committee, entail longer office
hours, more responsibility, and work generally.
PRACTICAL SANITARY WORK, 1900.
A tabular statement is given of the work of each of the
seven Inspectors at page 29. 1,218 complaints of sanitary
defects were received and promptly attended to. The number
of inspections of all kinds amounted to nearly 15,000. The