View report page

Measles and whooping cough remain infections of high incidence, but there
was only one death from whooping cough during the year, and none from measles.
Twenty-eight cases of poliomyelitis, of which 24 were paralytic, occurred during
the year, and two of these proved fatal. Poliomyelitis is not a new disease, having
existed in various forms for many years. However, only since the end of the war
has it reached epidemic proportions. The disease, which as the old name of
infantile paralysis implies, was popularly regarded as a disease of childhood, now
claims more victims in the older age groups. Each notified case is fully investigated
and preventive measures taken. There is no reason to believe that Woolwich has
had more than its share of cases of this disease. Whilst much has been written
about poliomyelitis, there still remain many questions to be answered. The decline
in tuberculosis mortality justifies some optimism.
For five months of the year the Department was two short in its staff of
Sanitary Inspectors. Nevertheless, the Sanitary Inspectors carried out some 32,000
inspections, including re-inspections, of premises during the year. Some 800 fewer
complaints were received during 1952, compared with the previous year. This
decrease may be accounted for partly by the fact that most of the war damage
re-instatement has now been completed. The receipt of fewer complaints, however,
does not necessarily mean that there has been an improvement in the housing
conditions. It is hoped that the Sanitary Inspectors will soon be able to carry out
routine house-to-house inspections on a larger scale than was possible during 1952,
to provide more information on this matter. In these days there are many difficulties
to be met with in maintaining properties in a reasonable state of fitness. Many
hundreds of houses in the Borough, if not fit for immediate demolition, cannot be
said to come up to an adequate housing standard. Despite the most vigorous
action by local authorities and others to provide more new houses, many privately
owned old houses are rapidly deteriorating, and yet it seems that many of these
houses will have to be used for years to come. The only answer to this problem
would seem to be for the State to give a lead by increasing rents of privately owned
houses subject to the Rent Acts, but at the same time safeguarding the adequate
maintenance in the future of houses which are today in a fair state of repair, but
which are rapidly becoming unfit. It has been necessary for me to represent more
individual unfit houses and unfit underground rooms to the Council for formal
demolition or closure, there being no alternative to this course of action in these
cases. The only pleasant part of this picture is the fact that the Borough Council
have again been to the forefront, having built 286 dwellings during 1952. Private
enterprise was responsible for a further 66 new houses, and the County Council
erected 39 flats and 2 houses on their Avery Hill Estate and 24 flats at Shooters
Hill. The section of the Report dealing with housing gives information on the
six clearance areas in the Ropeyard Rails area of the Borough, which were represented
for clearance during the year. This is the first post-war scheme of slum
clearance, any general scheme of slum clearance having been held up because of
the shortage of houses.
Woolwich is a Borough in which there are large milk processing plants, an
abattoir at which 90,000 animals were slaughtered last year, several bakeries, warehouses
and wharves, and a well-known open air market, in addition to the many
small shops, restaurants and factory canteens. Consequently, much time is devoted
by the Sanitary Inspectors to the supervision of the preparation and handling of
food. Many more visits are now being made to food premises; in practice those
places where the conditions are known to be good are visited at longer intervals
than places where the standard is lower. I am pleased to say that the hygienic
standard in public houses has improved. At the instigation of the Department
several public houses have now installed a constant hot water supply to the bars.
Undoubtedly, the individual proprietor of food premises has much to do with the
standards found, but the customer's influence is potentially much greater in this
direction. Tf he would much more commonly bring to notice doubtful practices
he would soon compel the food trader to be more careful. Fifty or so complaints
of adulterated food, mostly relating to bread and milk are received by the Health
Department each year, and whilst there are many more genuine attempts by local
4