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27
Legal Proceedings in Connection with Nuisances.
The only summons issued during the year had reference to a failure to comply
with a statutory notice and is detailed below :—
[##3]Premises.
Offence.
(Proceedings taken under the Public
Health (London) Act 1891, etc.)
Result.
91, St. Johns
Wood Terrace
Failure to comply with a statutory
notice to execute certain sanitary
requirements.
Order made for work to
be executed within two
months.
Smoke Nuisances.
During the year 1932, 592 observations were made and 37 complaints were
received and dealt with. In each case the attention of the offender was drawn to
the matter. In no case was it necessary to institute proceedings in court.
Amongst the complaints several had reference to fumes from furnaces burning
oil-fuel. These give rise to considerable difficulty, but as a result of frequent
observations and co-operation with the owners of the property, the trouble in
practically every case was greatly mitigated.
Rat Repression.
Though activity in this connection continues unabated, the number of complaints
received varies little year by year. In 1930 it reached 60, in 3 931, 74 and
in 1932, 52. The investigation of these complaints necessitated the inspection of
123 premises, G5 of which were found to be rat infested. Included in this latter
number were 27 business premises (5 of these for the preparation or storage of
food), the remaining 38 being private or tenement houses. In 17 of the cases
investigated the infestation was directly attributable to defects in the drainage
system, and the nuisance disappeared when repair or reconstruction was carried
out. In every instance all advice and assistance was given to the owner or
occupier by Inspector Willis, who acted as Rat Officer, and secured excellent results
from the methods advocated.
The following report submitted to the Public Health Committee on the 1932
Rat Week held in the Borough contains a certain amount of information that may
be found interesting.
"National Rat Week (the fourteenth of the series) was, at the suggestion of
the Ministry of Agriculture, held in the Borough during the week commencing
Monday, November 7th, 1932, the Ministry once more urging upon all local
authorities responsible for the execution and enforcement of the Rats and Mice
(Destruction) Act, 1919, the desirability of making a special effort during that week
to secure concerted action with a view to the destruction of rats and mice.
"Arrangements similar to those of previous years were made with the object
of bringing to the notice of the inhabitants the importance of the matter from a
health and economic point of view. Posters were displayed and leaflets distributed
throughout the district, while the local press gave considerable prominence
to the subject in their columns. Special communications (with copies of a new
booklet issued by the Ministry of Agriculture) were sent to occupiers of food
premises, to property owners and agents, to the railways companies, and to the
large business houses and institutions in the Borough, drawing attention to the
duties imposed by statute in connection with rat destruction and, at the same time,
offering to assist them in every way possible with technical advice as to the best
means to be adopted in any particular circumstances for ridding property of rats
and mice.
"Complaints of nuisance from rat infestation are fewer in number than
formerly, and from careful observations made by Inspector Willis (who has the
matter specially in hand) and by other members of the staff of the Department over
a period of many years, it appears that the large majority of people in the Borough