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115
of the County Council libraries are returned to the Kenton branch
library. Those from private libraries are returned to the branches from
which they were borrowed, or, by arrangement with the company concerned,
to their principal local libraries.
When it was decided that the laundry should be closed, consideration
was given to the question of whether arrangements might not be made
with some other body or authority for the disinfection of articles from
this district. Although enquiries showed that such arrangements could
be made, possibly at a lower cost than that falling to the Council if it
made its own arrangements, the Council decided that as a health
authority it should be responsible for undertaking this work and not be
dependent on others, an arrangement which might put them in a position
of not always being able to disinfect goods without delay. There was,
too, the other point that disinfection at the plant is only one part of the
disinfection service and that although the extent to which fumigation
at the home is carried out is now only small, there are the cases where
it is most necessary that the work should be done. At the same time
enquiries were made about whether in the event of the Council continuing
to operate its disinfecting plant, any other authority would wish to have
their goods done by it. None of the adjoining authorities wished to.
Because the continued use of the existing plant would sterilise for other
use a large plot of land, the question was gone into of erecting a new
plant. There is no existing steam raising plant with which it could have
been incorporated, nor did it seem that there would be one for many
years. At their December meeting then the Public Health Committee
agreed to the disinfector plant being installed within the curtilage of the
mortuary at Peel Road, and to provision for the expenditure being made
in the capital estimates for the financial year 1955/56.
Cleansing
Of Premises. Section 83 of the Public Health Act, 1936, empowers
a local authority to deal with filthy or verminous premises by calling
upon the owner or occupier to take such steps as may be necessary to
cleanse the premises or render them free from vermin; in the event of
the notice not being complied with the local authority may themselves
undertake the work and recover the cost from the owner or occupier.
Uurmg 1954 50 complaints were received about verminous premises.
In one case Statutory Notice had to be served. In the remaining cases
action was taken by the owner or occupier on advice given by the Sanitary
Inspectors.
Of Articles. Section 84 of the Public Health Act, 1936, requires
a local authority upon a certificate from the Medical Officer of Health
or the Sanitary Inspector to cleanse or disinfect any article which is so
the verminous as to render its cleansing, purification or destruction
cessary. in these cases the cleansing or destruction is carried out at
fe e^Pe"se of the local authority. Articles of clothing or furniture
0,11 6 properties were cleansed or destroyed during the year.
'he treatment of furniture and household effects of families moving
the'cT from properties dealt with by the Corporation under
losing or Demolition Sections of the Housing Act is also under-