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110
This is not a high price, but, in view of the fact that it
is to the interest of the public that every member of the
community should be personally clean, it seems desirable that
the prices should be still further reduced. Private spray
baths could probably be supplied so that baths could be
obtained at ½d. per head (exclusive of towel),without involving
any considerable charge on the rates. Spray baths provide
the quickest means of cleansing.
It cannot be too much insisted on that a dirty person is a
danger to the public health. This is especially the case with
respect to dirty hands. A person who has had enteric fever
may, through failure to wash his hands when decency requires,
infect the public food supply. The greatest cleanliness
should be practised by all persons engaged in selling milk,
meat, bread, fruit, &c. For this purpose public lavatories
are important, but the charge made is prohibitive to the
persons who it is of prime importance should make use of
the lavatories. The public lavatories in the Borough were
used last year for washing hands 7,526 times, compared with
7,946 times in 1911. If only those employed in Beresford Square
washed their hands once a day while employed, this figure
would be more than doubled. One penny is charged for
washing, and ½d. for towel. It would, in my opinion, conduce
to the public health if the charge for washing was reduced to
id., or ¼d. This charge would probably not lead to any
increased net cost. Paper towels might be supplied for ¼d.
TENTS, VANS, AND SHEDS.
46. During the year, 34 tents, vans, and sheds, were
inspected (35 in 1911), and three notices served.