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9
Within the last few years several Acts of Parliament relating to public
health, have been passed, which, with the exception of the Sanitary Act
of 1866. have not hitherto engaged much of the attention of your Board.
These Acts are, first, Adulteration of Food or Drink ; second, the Labouring
Classes Lodging Houses Act, 1851; third, an Act to enable the Public
Works' Loan Commissioners to make Advances towards the Erection of
Dwellings for the Labouring Classes, 1866 ; fourth, an Act to amend the
Labouring Classes Dwellings' Act, 1867; and fifth, the Workshop Regulation
Act, 1867.
The Adulteration of Food or Drink Act gives power to the Yestries
and District Boards to appoint analysts. The fourth Section of this Act
empowers purchasers of articles of food or drink to have them analysed by
the analyst appointed by the Board, on payment to the analyst a sum of
not less than two shillings and sixpence, nor more than ten shillings and
sixpence. The fifth Section gives power to Justices to have articles of
food and drink analysed by any skilled person, as they may appoint, for
that purpose.
The three Acts relating to the erection of dwellings for the labouring
classes, 1851, 1866, and 1867, may be read as one Act. The provisions
of these Acts enable Local Boards to borrow money from the Public
Works' Loan Commissioners, for the purpose of assisting Local Boards in
the purchase of land and buildings, or in the erection, alteration, and
adaptation of buildings, to be used as dwellings for the labouring classes,
and in providing all conveniences which may be deemed proper in connexion
with such dwellings.
The Lands' Clauses Consolidation Act, 1845, and any Act amending
the same, except the clauses with respect to the purchase and taking of
lands, otherwise than by agreement, are incorporated with these Acts.
The Workshop Regulation Act, which is an Act for regulating the
hours of labour for children, young persons, and women employed in workshops;
and for other purposes relating thereto, has already been brought
under your notice in my Quarterly Report for September, 1867. The
carrying out the provisions of this Act will entail a considerable amount
of additional labour and responsibility upon the Board and its Officers.
The duties of the Inspectors will be to inspect the means provided for
ventilation in workshops, not specified in the Factory Acts' Extension
Act, where a less number than fifty persons are employed, and to see that
the nineteenth Section of the Sanitary Act of 1866, is observed, which
provides for the keeping of such workshops in a cleanly state, and for their
ventilation, in such a manner as to render harmless, as far as practicable,