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112
It is a known fact throughout the country that they are a serious nuisance,
and it is especially so in Middlesex. Proper registration would bring
them into line, and a tax on them should be levied.
The number of gipsies removed from the district during the year
was 146, and the number of visits to them was 251.
SHOPS ACT, 1912
This Act came into force on May 1st, 1912, and an Urban District
Council of an Urban District with a population of not less than 20,000
is for the first time made responsible for the administration of the law
relating to shops.
All premises where any retail trade or business is carried on are
regarded as "shops," but the provision of the Act does not apply to
wholesale premises.
On July 9th, the Council appointed the inspectorial duties of the
Act to be carried out by Mr. Day and myself. A systematic) inspection of
the district was made, and a number of contraventions of the Act have been
satisfactorily dealt with. The initial work under the Act was somewhat
heavy, and we found a number of small shopkeepers who seemed ignorant of
their liability, and some were at first very stubborn, but soon fell in
line. There are a. few whom we are keeping under observation, as I
understand they sell occasionally, but only to their known customers.
The smaller shopkeepers seem to feel the Act keenly, as they state that
their customers who earn a penny or twopence in the morning buy their
goods in the afternoon by the halfpennyworth and pennyworth, and at
the end of the week, when they have a shilling or two, they go to the
larger shops. I should certainly like to see it made compulsory to close
all "mixed" shops, as the supervision of these shops is exceptionally
difficult.
HOUSE-TO-HOUSE INSPECTION.
During the year the Council appointed an Assistant Inspector to
devote his time to this work. The provisions of Section 17 of the
Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act, 1909, and the regulations made
thereunder by the Local Government Board imposes upon every Local
Authority the duty of causing to be made from time to time an inspection
of their district, with a view to ascertaining whether any dwelling-house
therein is in such a state as to be dangerous or injurious to health as to
be unfit for human habitation. The Inspector appointed commenced with
a road which has already received much attention from the Department,