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28
Abatement of Nuisances.
In the Appendix will be found a table of details showing
the work of the Sanitary Inspectors, chiefly under the Public
Health Act, 1875. Many of the defects found cannot be said
to be injurious to health, though they are sufficiently inimical
to comfort to be considered nuisances, and it is our interesting
administrative paradox that the graver nuisances give the
Sanitary officials less trouble than those of a slighter degree,
more fuss being frequently made over trivial matters than in
respect of really harmful conditions.
51,120 errors of one kind or another needing action
occurred during the year, 49,320 of which were satisfactorily
dealt with before the year closed. These included the service
of 8,343 notices to remedy 22,360 defects in connection with
dwelling houses. 53 notices were served on factory owners to
abate nuisance from excessive discharge of black smoke—a
nuisance which has been lessened of recent years, but which
still exists to a far greater extent than is either good for the
public or necessary for commerce.
Supervision of Special Trades.—These include bakehouses,
slaughter houses, common lodging houses, and the factories
dealing with animal matter specifically cited as offensive trades
in the Public Health Act. Of the last mentioned West Ham
contains probably a larger and more varied number than any
other town in the South, and all have been kept under regular
inspection. They carry out work of great advantage to the
community with generally a minimum degree of offence, and
except during spells of sultry weather are not a source of
inconvenience to residents, a fact largely due to modern
machinery.
During the year new buildings were constructed with the
approval of the Council in Stratford, for the preparation and
manufacture of Sterilized Surgical Ligatures, by the authorities
of the London Hospital technically an offensive trade, but
practically a most beneficent one.
Cowsheds.
In 1901, when the Council first arranged for a quarterly
examination of all cows in the Borough by the Veterinary
Surgeon for the purpose of ascertaining whether any suffered
from tubercular disease of the udder, tnere were 23 cowsheds