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11
I have, on a former occasion, estimated that out of 8,067 inhabited
houses in the District, there are at least 5,000 of them containing about
17,500 rooms, which require a regular inspection, not only for the purpose
of ascertaining the sanitary condition of each room, but the number
of inmates it contains, so that overcrowding may, as far as possible, be
prevented. I may here remark, that I believe I have considerably underestimated
the number of houses, which require this regular and systematic
inspection. The number is, probably, above 6.000, but say, as formerly
estimated, 5,000.
In order to accomplish the required inspection of 5,000 houses, it
will be necessary for the inspectors to visit daily 64 houses, containing
about 224 rooms. A record of the result of each inspection must be made
at the time of the visit, in a rough diary, and a copy of all the particulars
must be entered in a book prepared for that purpose.
Now, supposing that two Inspectors had nothing else to do but to
inspect daily 64 houses, containing 224 rooms (some of which are in houses
three or four stories high, and, in some instances, the top rooms can only
be reached by ascending a dark, ill-ventilated, and sometimes dilapidated
staircase), and making notes of the condition of each room, and looking to
the state of the yard, cellar, privy, drain, and water supply of each house,
the inspection cannot be made in less time than four minutes, on an
average, per room; so that, in performing this branch of their duty, each
Inspector, supposing that two are employed for this purpose only, would
be obliged to work seven hours and a half a day without intermission.
The making of an entry in the office of the rough notes from the diary,
will probably engage the time of each Inspector for an hour, making eight
hours and a half daily. In this calculation I have made no allowance for interruptions
and for meals. This amount of work is, I believe, as much, and
is probably more, than two Inspectors could do, even supposing them to
be young, strong, and active men, more especially when we know that
their work is carried on in an unhealthy atmosphere, and amidst nuisances
of a disgusting and health-destroying nature. The daily inspection of
houses which has been carried out in this District, ever since the formation
of your Board, has been productive of the best results; and in order that
it may be more efficiently done than heretofore, the services of two Inspectors
should be engaged for this purpose only.
As regards the other duties which must be performed by the Inspectors,
viz.: the hearing and answering complaints, made verbally and in
writing; the prompt attention which must be given to every complaint
regarding stopped or otherwise defective drainage, either occurring in the
poor localities or among the respectable inhabitants of the District; and
the daily inspection of the poorer localities, to see that the back yards of