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infected house, for which it has not been customary, until lately, to take
credit. In like manner the total of "sanitary orders" issued comprises
none of the cases in which work has been done by the owner or
occupier at the request of the Inspector.
During the last two years the abatement of nuisances has been much
accelerated by the plan of serving "preliminary notices" upon the
parties liable, immediately on discovery. These notices appear to be
well nigh as effectual, in the majority of instances, as the more formal
notice which, previously, it had been the rule to serve after report of
the nuisance to the Works, Sanitary, and General Purposes Committee
and confirmation by your Vestry of their recommendation. When the
notice is not attended to recourse must be had to a summons before
a magistrate, and I hold it to be the duty of an Inspector in such
cases to proceed with the least possible delay.
In my last Annual Report I had to observe that "the difficulties
which beset legal proceedings, i.e, at the Police Court, tend to cool
the ardour of Sanitary Inspectors in having recourse to magisterial
aid." I am happy now to be able to bear witness to a great improvement
in this respect, for acting upon a recommendation I made
in 1878, your Vestry have authorised proceedings before the magistrates
sitting at the Vestry Hall—an arrangement by which much
time has been saved, besides securing in nearly every instance the
object in view. We have Cause to be grateful to the magistrates for
their willingness to take our cases, adding considerably as they do to
the time consumed in the administration of justice; and for the good
work they have done by their decisions in helping forward sanitary
improvement.
Among "offences" against various Sanitary Acts, for which proceedings
were instituted, the following may be mentioned:—
For keeping a cow on unlicensed premises: penalty inflicted 1/and
1 /- costs.
Under "Dairies Order;" for allowing a wife to take part in
carrying on the business of a dairy, while she was nursing
cases of small-pox: penalty 20/-, and 2/- costs.
For exposing a child in public, while suffering from an infectious
disease: penalty inflicted 5/-, and 1/- costs.
For exposing himself in public, under similar circumstances, a