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21
610 nuisances were dealt with, and 486 request notices
were served.
61 statutory notices were ultimately required, and Police
Court proceedings were called for in S instances.
At the end of the year there was no outstanding nuisance
that required abatement.
Considerable trouble was given during 1908 by bands of
nomadic gipsies who encamped on lands in a part of Mortlake,
adjoining Richmond.
Police Court proceedings were instituted in many cases against
gipsies whose names could be obtained, for contravention of the
bye-laws respecting water supply to dwellings. But, almost always,
before the summonses could be served the camp was struck, or if
the summonses were served, a move was made before the hearing
came on.
As a matter of fact, objectionable as the presence of these
nomads no doubt is to dwellers in the vicinity of the encampments,
no nuisance in a sanitary sense is caused by them in this district as
a rule.
It was suggested that the proper means of dealing with the
annoyance was for the owners of the property to fence in their
lands, and after correspondence, this was decided on by them.
Bye-laws specifically dealing with these encampments might perhaps
be framed, for application to urban districts.
With respect to bye-laws in general, without doubt provision
is needed for the proper construction or planning of " back additions "
to small houses and double tenements.
I have repeatedly referred to this need.