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Altogether 138 premises on which food is prepared and sold were inspected, and
in 93 various insanitary conditions of major or minor importance were dealt with.
COURTS AND ALLEYS.
Early this year the question of the systematic flushing and cleansing of the courts
and alleys in the parish came under the consideration of fhe Public Health Committee
The Committee were of opinion that such measures for purification were of great
importance in the interests of the public health, and should be systematically carried
out all the year round, the practice having hitherto been for such places to be thus
attended to only during the summer months. Upon the report of the Committee the
Vestry gave instructions accordingly, and at the present time upwards of 90 courts
and alleys are now being flushed and cleansed, some once a fortnight, some once a week,
and some twice a week. The importance of paving courts, cul-de-sacs, and narrow
streets in densely populated localities as a sanitary precaution was referred to in my
Annual Report for 1897 ; the cleansing of such places is greatly facilitated bv their being
properly paved with impervious material.
FACTORIES AND WORKSHOPS.
A large amount of sanitary work in connection with factories, workshops, and
work-places has been carried out during the year. Intimations respecting the establishment
of 83 workshops and work-places were received from the factory inspector.
These premises were visited by the Vestry's inspectors, and the particulars respecting
them were entered in the book provided for the purpose. They were mostly found to be
in a satisfactory condition, but several required attention. Written notices were received
from the factory inspectors respecting various insanitary conditions in 68 workshops
and work-places, which were duly attended to by the Vestry's officers, and the factory
inspectors were informed as to the steps taken, in accordance with the requirements
of the law.
A matter which frequently has to be dealt with by the Vestry's officers is the
adequacy or otherwise of the sanitary conveniences provided. The Public Health
(London) Act, 1891, section 38 (1) lays it down that "every factory, workshop, and
" work-place, whether erected before or after the passing of this Act, shall be provided
"with sufficient and suitable accommodation in the way of sanitary conveniences,
"regard being had to the number of persons employed in or in attendance at such
" building, and also, where persons of both sexes are, or are intended to be, employed,
"or in attendance, with proper separate accommodation for persons of each sex."
The carrying into effect of this provision would be facilitated if a definite scale of
proportion of persons employed to sanitary conveniences to be provided were fixed
either in the Act of Parliament or by appropriate bye-laws.