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14
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IN CONNECTION WITH NUISANCES.
In only one case was it found necessary to institute proceeding's in Court in
this connection, this being for failure to comply with a Statutory Notice to carry
out certain cleansing works. The summons was withdrawn upon completion of
the work.
Smoke Nuisances.
During the year 1935, 255 observations were made and 10 complaints were
received and dealt with. In each case the attention of the offender was drawn to
the matter.
As a result of frequent observations and co-operation with the owners of the
property, the trouble arising from fumes from furnaces burning oil-fuel has been
almost entirely eliminated, and there was no complaint of nuisance from this
source.
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 1931, 74, in
1932, 52, in 1933, 49, in 1934, 44, and in 1935, 45. The investigation of these
complaints necessitated the inspection of 55 premises, 19 of which were found to
be rat infested. Included in this latter number were 8 business premises (4 of
these for the preparation or storage of food), the remaining 11 being 3 vacant sites
and 8 private or tenement houses. In 5 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 1935
National Rat Week, contains a certain amount of information that may be found
interesting : National Rat Week (the seventeenth of the series), was held from
November 4th to 9th, 1935. So far as St. Marylebone was concerned, the suggestions
of the Ministry of Agriculture were adopted wherever practicable, and the
lines of the campaign followed closely those which have been found effective in the
past, details of which have been reported to the Council and to the Ministry from
year to year since the series of Rat Weeks was inaugurated in 1919, the year of
the passing of the Rats and Mice (Destruction) Act. It was again pointed out
that, while attention was specially concentrated on the problem of rat infestation
during the one week in November specifically set aside for the purpose, the question
is one with which the Council is constantly dealing, and that mainly as a result of
the measures taken there would appear to be little doubt that the situation is
improving and that the problem has become less acute in the Borough in recent
years. A point of minor importance noted was that since the use of poisons has
been replaced by the employment of an improved type of break-back trap in the
sewers, the visual results obtained have created a greater interest on the part of
the men engaged in the work.
Pigeons.
In relation to the nuisances caused by these birds, the Borough Council was not
given what may be called an official position until after the coming into operation of
Sec. 52 of the L.C.C. (General Powers) Act, 1927. In this section the Council
was empowered to seize and destroy, sell, or otherwise dispose of, or cause to be
seized, etc., house doves or pigeons in excessive numbers, if they believe them to be
without an owner. Ten complaints were made in 1935, as against six in 1934,
relating to business premises (in five cases), and private dwellings (five). As in
other years, as much assistance as possible was given by the inspector in charge of
this work to reduce the nuisance