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51
CANAL BOATS ACTS.
The year 1902 shows an increase in the number of canal boats inspected
over previous years. This is to some extent due to the increased vigilance
necessary in the early and latter parts of the year in the search for possible
cases of Small-pox.
The total number of boats inspected was 894, which is 262.4 above the
mean of the five preceding years.
This number of boats was registered to carry 3,342 persons, but was
occupied by 1,872 only. This is an average of 2.09 persons per boat.
It has been suggested that the population of these boats would probably be
found on a night visit to be in excess of the number declared to the inspector,
by day. In relation to this, the returns of the last census are of interest,
inasmuch as they show that on a total of 154 inland barges and boats lying
within the Port of London, 368 persons were enumerated, or an average of
2'38 persons per boat.
Taking the whole of the registration counties of Middlesex, Surrey,
London, Essex, and Kent, on a total of 361 inland barges and boats, 870
persons were enumerated, which gives an average of 2.40 persons per boat.
The proportion of females according to the same return is represented by a
total of 188, or 21.60 per cent. of the total number of persons enumerated.
On the canal boats inspected in the Port of London, the number of females
carried was 15.27 per cent. of the total number of persons.
Of the total number of boats inspected, 748 were found to conform with
the Canal Boats Acts and Regulations. On the remaining 146 there were
found infringements to the number of 221.
In 138 cases, written complaints were sent to the owners, and of these 114
are known to have been remedied.
The total number of infringements is 114.6 above the mean for the
preceding five years, and comprises 22 infringements in regard to registration,
24 with regard to lettering, marking, and numbering, 33 with regard to
cleanliness, 47 required some structural repair, 23 had no proper water vessel
and 38 boats failed to produce a certificate when requested.
There have not been any new boats registered, and I would point out in
relation to this that the practice is growing in this Port, especially with the large
trading "combines," of substituting dumb lighters for the resident barge.
The dumb lighters are towed to their destination, and there is no longer any
necessity for persons to sleep on board. Registration is therefore not
required.