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The Health of Barking
The managements of factories and business premises have continued to
co-operate in this work and the general public has taken advantage of the facilities
offered.
SWIMMING BATHS AND POOLS.
The inadequate swimming facilities in Barking have caused concern to the
Council for many years, and it is unfortunate that the proposed bath in Mayesbrook
Park still had to be postponed.
The indoor swimming bath at East Street was used by 69,750 bathers in the
short season of 21 weeks, notwithstanding the many weeks when the weather
was cold and not conducive to bathing.
It is pleasing to learn from the report submitted to the Council that more
than half the bathers were children, and whilst this is commendable it does increase
the problem of dealing with the pollution load using the present purification plant,
and it is not surprising that on two occasions it was necessary to comment on the
results of the chemical examination of bath water.
The statistics submitted to the Council showed a serious reduction in the bathers
attending the Open-Air Pool, due to the unsuitable weather. For one week in
June, however, there was a record number.
Generally, I can say that I look forward to the time when the new swimming
bath is established, and provision made either centrally or in some part of the
Borough for Turkish and vapour baths.

FACTORIES ACT, 1937.
On pages 62-63 will be found statistics in relation to the administration of
this Act.
SANITARY INSPECTION OF THE AREA.
Throughout the year there continued a shortage of inspectors but the easing
of the licensing restrictions enabled an increase in repair work to be carried out
without quite as much difficulty as hitherto.
The present office arrangements for your sanitary inspectors is unsatisfactory
and administration will be much improved when the staff can be transferred to the
office now occupied by the comptometer operators. (This has since been done.)
It has been said that to be meanly housed is to be meanly esteemed, and I
believe that for an officer to give his best service regard must be paid to these matters.
During the year the sanitary inspectors dealt with 1,476 complaints, which
resulted in the service of 564 statutory notices.
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