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5
Mr. Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors,
Apart from a wave of measles infection of a mild type
which spread through the Borough during the Spring of 1955
no other epidemics were encountered. Small sporadic outbreaks
of gastro-enteritis caused by Sonne infection were
reported but in the main once again it has been a good
year from the public health point of view.
Certain special problems arose in connection with the
work of the Sanitary Authority, particularly in connection
with atmospheric pollution, where the repercussions of
the Beaver Report were felt by the public interest shown
in contamination of the air. The new Clean Air Bill, which
will shortly become law, was introduced and, to keep in
1ine with the need for vigilance throughout the country,
there is no doubt that Ealing should take its part in the
erection and maintenance of atmospheric pollution gauges
in the district. These would give reports of great value
to the Department of Industrial and Scientific Research
and to other government departments concerned with the
prevention of air pollution on a wide scale. This matter
is at present under consideration.
Certain other matters were again brought before the
Council during the year such as the condition of the River
Brent, the provision of Mortuary Services in Ealing and
the work necessary to implement the Government's slum
clearance programme. These have been dealt with in the
body of the Report which I trust will prove of interest
to the Council.
Matters were also raised dealing with the social life
of the Borough but the power of Ealing to deal with such
items as "Sitters in for old People" etc., are now negligible
and any developments on this side of the work will
have to be dealt with by the County Council. The loss of
the personal services by Ealing as a Borough Council has
undoubtedly placed a brake on developments of all kinds
in this field. Should Ealing become a County Borough oppor
tunities would then immediately arise for experiments and
developments of this kind. In the meantime any activities
must be geared to the ponderous County Council machine.
Certain matters have been dealt with in this report
such as Tuberculosis, with which the only concern of the
Ealing Council is notifications of the disease. Since,
however, the epidemiology of Tuberculosis is still an
Ealing problem I have placed before you my views on the