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On the 11th October the canal boat "Mabel," registered Brierley Hill,
No. 142, was inspected, and the after-cabin found to be occupied by the
Master, his wife, and another person of the male sex 20 years of age.
Although the fore-cabin of this boat is registered for occupation, it was stated
that the reason for not using it was that it did not contain a stove.
The facts were brought to notice of the owners, and the boat was inspected
at Brierley Hill on the 24th October, and the cause of complaint found to have
been removed.
Owing to there being no evidence of the occupation of the cabin as a
sleeping place by all of the persons found on board, legal proceedings were
not advised.
The best evidence of such illegal occupation would be by the actual
observation of the cabin so occupied during sleeping hours, but inasmuch as
the legal powers of entry are between the hours of 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. only
such evidence is practically impossible to obtain.
(5) Canal boat " Albert," of Uxbridge, No. 220. This boat was inspected
on the 22nd June, 1903, when it was found that the registration marks and
numbers on both sides of the boat had been partly obliterated.
This was brought to the notice of the owner, and he was called upon to
have the boat lettered, marked and numbered.
The boat was again inspected on the 11th May, 1904, when it was found
that the lettering, marking and numbering had not been renewed, and
further, that the cabin funnel was defective, the cabin top leaky, and the
interior of the cabin in a dirty condition.
The case was therefore placed in the hands of the City Solicitor, and as a
result of his action the barge has been attended to, and the necessary repairs
carried out.
(6) and (7) No cases of infectious diseases have been met with on any
canal boat during the year, and no boats detained for cleansing or disinfection.
(8) The total number of boats registered by this Authority since 1884 is
424. Of this, 136 registrations have been cancelled, the actual number
remaining on the register on the 31st December, 1904, being 288.
(9) Three new boats have been registered during the year.
No boats have been re-registered owing to structural alterations, but seven
have been re-registered for other reasons.
I am, Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
HERBERT WILLIAMS,
Medical Officer of Health, Port of London.