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27
During the last six years, the Department has been definitely
understaffed, and it has been quite impossible to deal with anything
except complaints. District inspection has been quite out of the
question. The extra work necessitated by the Public Health (Meat)
Regulations, 1924, made matters worse. In order to case the situation
which was becoming acute, the work under the Shops Act was
last year ceased by the Public Health Committee and turned over to
the Police. In addition to this, all the work under the Petroleum
Acts which involved a considerable amount of work was transferred
to the Fire Brigade.
The problem of dealing with property as I said before is extremely
difficult, the Rent Restrictions Act allowing only a 40 per
cent. increase in the rent to cover the cost of repairs, which is in
many cases totally inadequate. As things are now, many houses
are being crowded with two, three or more families. Sometimes
these houses have been of the better class more commodious houses,
and in the ordinary way the 40 per cent. would have been comparatively
just. Where these are sub-let, often at an exhorbitant profit
to more families, the wear and tear on the landlord's property is
not in arithmetical progression, and he is no way recompensed by
the limited increase in the rent which he is allowed to charge. His
tenant profiteers unblushingly and the landlord has to bear the
burden, and has no remedy whatever unless legal overcrowding
occurs. In nearly every case there is no legal overcrowding,
but as pointed out elsewhere considerable moral overcrowding. At
the same time there are landlords who are hard put to it, and the
tenants have a great difficulty in getting anything done. It is very
difficult at times to hold the scales justly between the tenant who
has certain rights, and a harassed landlord who is in certain cases
deprived of his rights by statute.
Proceedings.
Proceedings were taken during the year in respect of:—
(a) Nuisances existing at one house due to the improper
keeping of cats, and domestic cleansing not carried out