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4
In 1922, owing to the ever-increasing work of the
Department, it was found necessary to appoint an Assistant
Sanitary Inspector. Mr. F. D. Harvey was selected to fill
the post from a large number of applicants, and he took up
his duties on June 26th, 1922.
Mr. W. C. Cockell, who had been clerk to the Public
Health Department for five years, qualified as a Sanitary
Inspector, and resigned in November, 1924, having obtained
a post as Assistant Sanitary Inspector.
Mr. W. J. Fell was appointed to replace him, but resigned
in May, 1925, having obtained a post on the
Southern Railway.
Miss T. P. Dilliway, a pupil from the Technical Institute,
was then appointed as a shorthand-typist, and Mr.
G. H. Cockell as a boy clerk.
Owing to these rapid changes and the inexperience of
the Clerical Staff, much time has and is still devoted to
training these junior members in their clerical duties, time
which should be devoted to outside sanitary work.
The Public Health (Meat) Regulations, 1924, came into
force on April 1st, 1925, and the additional duties imposed
by these Regulations were immediately felt.
It was found that far more slaughtering was taking
place in the latter part of the day and evening than was
anticipated, and it is a matter for careful consideration as
to the best means of regulating this, if possible, since there
are no less than six private slaughter-houses.
The duties of Meat Inspection have been conscientiously
carried out, so that a great part of the time of the Sanitary
Inspector has been occupied in this branch of his duties.
Details of Housing are set out in the Report of the
Sanitary Inspector, and I am in agreement with his observations.
During the past five years 290 houses have been erected
in the Borough, 82 of these by the Corporation.
Overcrowding exists in certain areas, in spite of the
fact that the Census of 1921 shows the number of rooms
in the Borough per person to be 1.15. It is the uneven
distribution of the population that accounts for the congestion
in certain quarters, and I am even more convinced now
than when I wrote in my Report for 1923, that this overcrowding
is increased by the fact that young girls, who
ordinarily should reside away from home in domestic service,
now prefer to sleep at home.