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13
The water supply is usually a pipe sunk 25 to 30
feet into the marsh with a pump for raising the water.
In former years samples of the water have been
examined on many occasions, and these have in a
number of cases been found to be unfit for drinking.
Where this was so proceedings have been taken to close
the pump successfully.
Some of the people living in these sheds have been
there well over 20 years, and can be regarded as
permanent residents. In the great majority of these
cases the man owns the plot on which his van or shed
stands, and they are clean, and properly looked after.
. In the cases where the people are nomadic, and
only remain a few days or weeks at most, they are very
careless of their surroundings and very dirty, but it is
difficult to take any action in these cases as before any
notice can expire they have left the district.
Factories, Offensive Trades.
In 1911 Section 51 of the Public Health Acts
Amendment Act 1907 was adopted in the district, and
in July, 1912, the Council made an order declating each
of the following trades and businesses to be an Offensive
Trade :—Blood Drier, Tanner, Leather Dresser, Fat
Melter or Fat Extractor, Glue Maker, Size Maker,
Gut Scraper, Fish Frier, Manufacturer of Manure from
fish, fish offal, blood or other putrescible animal mattter,
and the manufacture of animal charcoal.
The Bye-laws regulating the carrying on of these
trades were revised, and afterwards received the consent
of the Local Government Board ; these are now in force
in the district.
The trades of this description at present carried on
in the district are:—Fish Frier, Fat Extractor, and the
Manufacture of Manure from fish and fish offal.
The various premises at which these trades are
carried on have been periodically inspected during the
year and found in fairly satisfactory condition.