View report page

SANITARY SECTION AND HOUSING.
Mr. J. E. Austin, M.B.E., Chief Sanitary Inspector, has compiled
this section of the Report relating to sanitary circumstances .and.
housing, and statistics in regard to food inspection.
Emergency Work.
The year 1942 continued to be one of increased activity for the
Sanitary Inspectors, Improvement of housing and other environmental
conditions after war damage, demanded an intensive effort on the part
of the staff. It is unfortunate that it is not possible to include
any statistics in this report of emergency work carried out, and the
succeeding comments deal only briefly with the emergency duties of
the staff.
First Aid Repairs to Houses.
The reclamation of housing accommodation after war damage became
more pressing during the year. The prosecution of a policy of early
and complete first aid repairs amply justified itself by the gradual
but sure satisfaction of demands for housing by a returning pre-blitz
population.
Perhaps one of the most outstanding and gratifying features of
the work was the reinstatement of glazing of war damaged houses. The
continuance of "blacked-out" windows with felt and the resultant lack
of natural light began to have its effect upon the population, and a
local Ministry of Information 'quiz' indicated the urgency of reinstatement
of glazing. At the conclusion of the year this work was
well in hand and on grounds of public health, physically and mentally,
it was decided to proceed with 100% reinstatement of all essential
rooms. There were numerous expressions of gratitude from the population
in response to this work of reinstatement.
It Is estimated incidentally that the vigorous prosecution of
the policy of early repair of war-damaged houses has saved many
properties from destruction which would have been inevitable through
the depredations of unauthorised and unorthodox demolition gangs.
With the increasing acuteness of the housing situation the
policy of reinstatement has more than justified Itself. The work
of supervising repairs constituted an important duty of the Inspectors.
Towards the close of the year, however, the work assumed a new
phase and more pressure had to be brought to bear on property owners
who had consistently carried out no maintenance works during the war
and who wore too readily inclined to believe that all maintenance
work could be carried out as a first aid repair. Fortunately prewar
records of this Department facilitated the differentiation
"between the two types of necessary work.
The labour head engaged on first aid repairs and under supervision
by the Inspectors was reduced from 2,500 at the beginning of
the year to 850 at the conclusion of the year. There has 'been a
general and ready acceptance of a "utility" standard of repairs,but
how long this will continue it is not easy to estimate.
Emergency Drainage Repairs.
As in the case of normal first aid repairs a considerable amount
of time was expended in supervising the correction of defects, many
of which appear to be latent war damage defects and are only now
manifesting themselves. Despite the completion of a considerable
amount of work, much remains to be done in connection with drainage
"fork, and a very careful investigation is being made of each and
every case whore complaints arise. Unlike the general housing defects
drainage defects are not visible, and this particular problem of
sanitary circumstance, it Is believed, will continue to demand considerable
attention for some long time in the future.
34.