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We have, therefore, concerned in this work, first, the Home
Office Officials, next the Local Sanitary Authorities, and lastly, the
London County Council, who have under the Public Health
(London) Act, equal powers with the Sanitary Authorities, and in
fact, a general supervision over them.
Now the difficulty arises, how are your Officers to carry out
this work apart from their already over-taxed, and multefarious
duties ? Generally, it must be admitted, that they are bound to
become aquainted with every part of their District. This means of
course, that house to house visitation must form an important
routine. When one reflects, however, how constantly changing
are the so-called " domestic workshops " in our District, I am at a
loss to discover how, even with an increase in your staff, such new
duties can be efficiently performed. Only by the establishment of
a Central Bureau, to which all such lists of out-workers must be
forwarded by all employers, can any really satisfactory result be
arrived at. Then the Clerks at the Central Bureau could forward
to every Sanitary Authority such names and addresses as are
within each District. It would then become more practicable for
such places to be visited and inspected.
The measure is undoubtedly a useful one, and I have enlisted
the co-operation of the heads of the Government Department who
are concerned primarily in the work, and thus I hope to carry out
the provisions of the Act in the spirit in which it was framed.
In conclusion, Gentlemen, I desire to offer some excuse for the
many difficiencies in this Report; but I am anxious that it shall be
in the hands of the printer before the month of January has expired.
I attach great importance to the statistical portion of every Report,
and I estimate the remainder as of much less value, therefore, I do
not hesitate to ask your perusal of this Report as a whole. I trust
it will convey to you the impression that your Sanitary Staff, aided
by the kind co-operation of your Clerks, and of your Surveyor, have
been somewhat advancing with the general tide in the direction of
improvement, and also that the Sanitary condition of the District
over which you preside will be found to have become improved.
I have the honor to be,
Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
JOSEPH LOANE.