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long unburied, she stated that she had been waiting for suitable things to be
made for the funeral; and upon asking when the funeral would take place,
she stated that the body would not be buried until the 8th January, a period
of 15 days from the death. The Board had no power to compel the removal
of the corpse, as there is no mortuary belonging to the Board in the District.
Unlicensed Cowhouse used for Keeping Cows.
A Cowkeeper, residing in Whitechapel Parish, was summoned before
the Magistrate at the Worship Street Police Court for keeping cows in
an unlicensed shed. The case being proved, the defendant was fined forty
shillings and costs.
BILL
For Facilitating the Improvement or the Dwellings of the
Working Classes in Large Towns.
Since this Report was presented to the Board the above-named Bill has
been read a second time, and has met with such general approval that, with
certain amendments, it is likely to become an Act.
I regret, however, to find that, while it provides for the pulling down
of unhealthy houses, it does not contain a clause requiring a proper inspection
to be made by the Medical Officer of Health and the Surveyor to the
Vestry or District Board of the sanitary arrangements of the houses which
may be erected in the place of those pulled down.
It is true that the words ''proper sanitary arrangements of the area,"
are inserted in clause 5, but these do not refer to the houses; and in order
to provide that healthy houses shall be erected, clauses to the following effect
should be added to the Bill:—
1. —That, before the building of any new house is commenced, plans of
the drainage, and of all the sanitary arrangements of the house, shall be
submitted for approval to the Local Board. This Board shall be invested
with power to compel the builder of any new house within the District
so to alter his plans, if necessary, as to render such house fit for healthy
occupation.
2.—It shall likewise be made compulsory upon every builder to provide
a separate water-closet or privy and ashpit for each house, within the
curtilage of the house. This provision would prevent the erection of public
privies in courts occupied by the poorer classes, which are now for the most
part nuisances, and injurious to the public health.
3.—That during the progress of the building of any house, the Surveyor
to the Local Board shall be required to inspect the foundation thereof; and
if such Surveyor be of opinion that the materials which are being used for
such foundation are not proper for the purpose, he shall make known his
objections to the builder, and shall report the same to the Board. This