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Authorities," and that, in case of default, "the Council can act in
place of the Sanitary Authority, and exercise its powers."
"The power of control and enforcement vested now in the Council is, in
fact, far-reaching, and should be effectual to effect a vast improvement
in sanitary administration throughout the Metropolis. It is hard,
indeed, to conceive of any case of negligence on the part of the local
authorities which the Council, if it sees fit, may not now remedy."
"So large a power," it is added, "involves grave responsibility on
the Council."
The Committee express an opinion, in complete agreement with
the views of your Vestry, that "the pivot on which the Act turns is
contained in its first section, which makes it the duty of every
Sanitary Authority to inspect their district, to ascertain and abate
nuisances, and to put in force the powers ot the Act so as to secure
the proper sanitary condition of all premises within their district.
Equally now,"they observe, "must it be considered the duty of the
Council to see that the Sanitary Authorities are not in default." The
Act, in their opinion, "read with the Housing of the Working
Classes Act, 1890, probably gives the Council effectual control over
the health and sanitation of London."
The Committee having "arrived at the conclusion that the
present staff is inadequate for the discharge of the new obligations"
cast upon the Council by the Act, and" should be strengthened and
re-organised, so that it may be in a position properly to fulfil them,"
recommended that " the Committees of the Council which at present
deal with matters affecting the health and security of London, should
be re-constituted The duties at present assigned to the Sanitary and
Special Purposes Committee, and the Housing of the Working
Classes Committee, which are the two Committees concerned in the
matter," having been set out, an opinion is expressed that—
"The duties which will devolve on the Council under the Housing of the
Working Classes Act, and under the Public Health Act, so far as that
Act relates to sanitation and health, should be entrusted to one
Committee, to be known as the Public Health and Housing
Committee,"
a course which will "prevent overlapping and tend to efficiency of
administration."