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REPORT OF THE CHIEF PUBLIC HEALTH INSPECTOR
I have the honour of presenting my eighth annual report
on the sanitary circumstances of the district.
The year was notable for the progress made under the
Clean Air Act, certain provisions of which came into force
on the 31st- December, 1956, and also for the passing of one
of the most controversial measures for many years, The Rent
Act, 1957, and its subsequent implementation.
At this stage it is difficult to say whether or not
the Rent Act is likely to achieve its object of preventing
the deterioration of dwellings. One's first impressions
were that more external decorating was being done to rented
property than usual but it is doubtful whether many landlords
have made more than a cursory attempt at properly overhauling
and reconditioning their property.
When the rent of a dwelling is increased its valuation
also increases and with it the amount which a notice under
Section 9 of the Housing Act can require a landlord to spend
on repairs and still keep within the bounds of "reasonable
expense". It is in this direction, I feel, that the Act
has the greatest possibilities.
By inspecting, in a systematic manner, all rented
houses in the district a good state of repair could be
ensured. So far as our limited staff resources permit this
is being done but the rate of progress is necessarily very
slow. To obtain the greatest benefit from the new situation
that the Rent Act has created would require additional staff
and on present salary levels it is doubtful whether more
inspectors could be recruited even if the Council were
prepared to do so. But that is another story.
No time was lost in implementing those provisions of
the Clean Air Act which came into force on the last day of
the previous year. Full details of the progress achieved
are given in another part of this report. I would, at this
stage, like to thank the Council for the wholehearted support
they have given me in this matter.
The substantial increase in work caused by new
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