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19
WATER BARGES.
During the half-year the water barges supplying shipping have been
constantly under supervision and inspected carefully.
At the beginning of the year there were 25 in use in the district,
Two new iron ones have been built.
Fourteen of the old ones were found to be in fairly good condition. Two
have been repaired (such repairs amounting almost to rebuilding).
Four which had become unsound and unfit for the purpose have been
condemned, and either broken up, or sold for other purposes, while two have
been allowed to continue in use for filling boilers only, and have been
labelled to this effect.
Five are still laid up after condemnation by your Officers, awaiting the
decision of their owners as to whether they are worth the expense of repairing
to the extent required.
One new iron water barge is now being built.
As nearly all these vessels are in the hands of small owners, who do not
realize the extreme importance of having a drinking water above suspicion,
this department of our work is of a most trying and harassing description.
Nevertheless, the result of steady constant pressure in the same direction is
gradually telling, and the owners are beginning to see that wooden barges
perish so quickly, and require such constant repairs, that they are more costly
than iron ones.
An appeal to the pocket is generally understood, and when a sanitary
improvement can be demonstrated as a financial success much of the opposition
is dissipated.
INFECTED CLOTHING.
Although, consequent upon the energetic action of the Board of Trade, on
the representation of your Medical Officer, the dangerous practice of sending
home the effects of seamen who have died abroad from infectious disease has
greatly diminished, still some few cases have occurred.
Thus, in January, the clothing of two men who had died from "fever"—
one, typhus—was sent home from Rotterdam without any information as to
disinfection.
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