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On one boat an adult male was found unlawfully occupying the cabin used
as a sleeping place by a female, and on one other an adult female was unlawfully
occupying a cabin not registered for the purpose.
Nine cabins were found in a dirty condition, whilst two infringed the
regulations requiring the re-painting every third year.
On seven boats the ventilation was found to be insufficient, while thirty-four
were found in bad repair. On one boat foul bilge water was discovered under
the cabin, and twenty-one boats were without any proper vessel for containing
drinking water.
(4.) On the 18th December, 1903, the canal boat "Hope," owned by James
Jeffries, of 37, Thames Street, Kingston, was inspected and found to be
unregistered. The owner was called upon to register the boat as required by
the Canal Boats Acts, and he undertook to have the boat registered at Reading.
This was not done, and the matter was again brought to the notice of the
owner.
The boat was again inspected on the 11th November, when it was found to
be still unregistered inasmuch as there was no certificate on board the boat.
The facts were accordingly brought before the Port Sanitary Committee,
and the matter placed in the hands of the City Solicitor, and as a result of
his enquiries it was ascertained that the boat was registered on the 13th
July last by the Reading Urban Sanitary Authority, and the certificate
produced for his inspection.
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It was evident that a technical offence had been committed, but the Solicitor
did not, under the circumstances, advise proceedings.
(5.) With regard to the infringements enumerated in paragraph (3), these
involved the issue of 123 written cautions, of which 122 are known to have
been complied with.
(6.) No cases of infectious disease have been met with during the year on
canal boats.
(7.) It has not been necessary to detain any boat for cleansing and
disinfection.
(8.) The actual number of canal boats on the Register, 31st December, 1905
was 271.
In January, 1905,1 received an application from the owners of a number of
registered canal boats, stating that they had registered these boats under the
Merchant Shipping Act, and requesting that the registration under the Canal