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nuisances described in the 515 statutory notices. The total
number of notices served was 6,727; of letters sent out, 582 ; of
copies of summonses and orders, 510. Also 1,926 complaints
of non-removal of dust were attended to, and 37 dead bodies
were received into the mortuary.
In addition to the above, which may be considered routine
work, several premises were inspected under the Petroleum Act,
in consequence of the petroleum having been said to be stored
so as to be dangerous; also several underground rooms used as
dwelling rooms, contrary to the provisions of the Metropolis
Local Management Act, were examined. The floor of one of
these rooms was nine feet below the pavement, and was lighted
and ventilated by a small window only four feet by two feet,
and was occupied by the father, mother, and six children as a
sleeping room.
The number of cases of overcrowding was less this year than
in 1868, but there were some very bad cases amongst them. It
will be seen, by a reference to the list of streets inspected, that
there were only 34,793 persons in 5,903 houses, containing
22,460 rooms, or but a little more than three persons to two
rooms, and less than six persons in each house. This is a small
average, and arises from the fact, that comparatively few rooms
are used both for sleeping and living in, so that most families
have at least two rooms. This has partly been caused by the
inspections which have been regularly carried out for the
prevention ef overcrowding, and by the large number of notices
issued, informing owners and occupiers of houses of the number
who might legally occupy the rooms. Indeed, so well is this
known now. that the inspectors have much less opposition in
carrying out the Act. A very large number of families now
occupy two rooms, who formerly lived and slept in one. The