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169
"that there were several defects that would have to be
remedied. As regards the house being unfit for human
habitation, as described in the surveyor's report, I did not
see any grounds whatever for supporting such an opinion"—
a view to the reasonableness of which the owner's letter
lends support. With respect to (3), it is only necessary to
repeat that the notice was served on the owner on the day
following the meeting of your Vestry, viz., on Thursday,
August 6th ; that it could not lawfully have been served at
an earlier date, and that the owner at once took the necessary
steps to comply with its requirements.
Commenting on this case in my ninth monthly report, I
observed that "a question that naturally arose out of the
correspondence was, whether it is the duty of the Sanitary
Authority to find out the existence of sanitary defects in
private houses, or whether householders should be left to look
after their own interests?" and stated my opinion " that in
the interests of public health, it would be well if all houses
were periodically inspected by the Sanitary or other competent
Authority." I also ventured to express the opinion
that it would in the future be the duty of the Sanitary
Authority to discover and enforce the removal of defects such
as existed in "W. B. E.'s" house, and exist, doubtless,
though unsuspected, in many other houses ; inasmuch as
they constitute a "nuisance" within the meaning of the
Public Health (London) Act, 1891, the first section of
which (in part a re-enactment of a section of one of the
repealed Acts) declares that—
" It shall be the duty of every Sanitary Authority to cause to be "made from
time to time inspection of their district, with a view to ascertain what
nuisances exist calling for abatement under the powers of this Act, and
to enforce the provisions of this Act for the purpose of abating the
same, and otherwise to put in force (he powers vested in them relating
to public health and local government, so as to secure the proper
sanitary condition of all premises within their district."