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10
It is pleasing to report that the sale of ice-cream is now almost
entirely confined to the wrapped article, and very few street vendors of
loose ice-cream have been encountered.
Unfortunately, however, there has been a tendency for all kinds of
shops to be used for the sale of ice-cream. Some of these shops,
although, in fact, complying with the requirements of the Food & Drugs
Act, are not really very suitable for the sale of a commodity of this nature.
However, all those registered agree to sell prepacked ice-cream only, so
that the possibility of contamination is thereby considerably reduced.
No ice-cream is being manufactured in the district.
HOUSING
The number of complaints of unsatisfactory housing Conditions
has remained about the same as in 1950, but there has been a change in
the type of complaint. Many sub-tenants lodge complaints, not with
the intention of securing the execution of repairs or the provision of
adequate facilities, but to strengthen their claim for rehousing by the
Council's Housing Department. There is now practically no difficulty
in getting essential repair work carried out, as far as labour and materials
are concerned, but the high cost of repairs imposes considerable strain
on the financial resources of some owners. However, less difficulty has
been experienced in persuading owners to carry out repairs, and many
more tenants are co-operating with owners in the carrying out of minor
maintenance items, although it was necessary in eight cases for the
Council to have repairs done where the owners had defaulted, the cost
being recovered in accordance with the Housing and Public Health
Acts, from the owners.
There are still too many cases of overcrowding brought to our
notice. Almost invariably these are families which have moved into
the district in recent years, and whose claims for proper housing in this
Borough do not merit a high degree of priority. Unfortunately, in
these cases the young children are the ones most likely to be prejudiced
in health, and environment.
SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE DISTRICT
More attention has been paid this year to matters of environmental
hygiene. Several of the unsightly areas and buildings, which formerly
formed ideal harbourages for rats, rubbish and objectionable matter of
all kinds, have now been cleared and built on. Schemes are in hand for
building on several other sites, particularly in the Mortlake High Street
area.
There has been a decline in the amount of pig and poultry keeping
in the district, and we have received few complaints of this nature.
The contnuance of the system of collection and storage of waste
food presents a problem, where the interests of public health and