View report page

217
" The Vestry, recognizing the necessity for such accommodation,
have learned with satisfaction that it has been provided, in nearly all
instances, by the proprietors of public houses. They regret, however,
to find that in many cases the appliances for preventing nuisance are
wanting; in other words, that water supply for flushing purposes has
not been provided, and that the drain is trapped by an imperfect and
wholly unsuitable appliance, the so-called' Bell Trap.'
" This being so, the Vestry have caused notices to be served under
the Nuisances Bemoval Acts, upon the proprietors of certain houses,
calling upon them to provide a water supply and a suitable gully-trap
for flushing and drainage purposes.
"In a considerable number of instances the Vestry's notice has
been complied with.
" The Vestry, however, regret to learn that in some cases nothing
has been done; "while in others the proprietors have closed the urinals
rather than incur the small expense involved in the provision of
appliances, without which the urinal, which is urgently needed, must
almost necessarily be a nuisance.
" I have therefore been instructed by the Vestry to request the
attention of the Justices to the matter, and to express a hope that they
will see their way to support, at the forthcoming Licensing Sessions,
the efforts of the Vestry to remove an unquestionable nuisance.
" The Vestry further hope that the Justices will exercise their
undoubted influence to secure the provision of Urinal Accommodation
where none now exists."
I waited upon the Justices at the licensing sessions—a
very busy period—but, although the Chairman expressed entire
sympathy with the object your Yestry had in view, and
approved of the effort being made to secure water supply and
efficient drainage for the existing urinals, the Justices were
unwilling to go beyond the limits of what they believed to be
their legal powers in dealing with the matter. A few public
house proprietors offered sites for the erection of public urinals
by your Vestry, but no action has as yet been taken in this
direction. On the whole, however, much good work was done,
and a sanitary improvement of considerable magnitude successfully
carried through. I am not without hope that by
continued effort the work may ultimately be carried to an
entirely satisfactory issue.
p