View report page

29
supply apparatus for the use of his tenant. In this case a penalty
of 40/- with costs was inflicted. Also for exposing meat unfit
for the use of man, when a £10 penalty was ordered to be paid,
and many eases of defective water supply apparatus, in which
penalties were inflicted, and paid to the Board.
On the 14th of June last I brought up a report pointing out
that the Metropolitan Board had just had under their consideration
a letter from Mr. Secretary Cross respecting the building of
houses on rubbish foundations. That the Board had replied to
the effect that there were great difficulties in the way of
obtaining a new Building Act, and therefore asked Mr. Cross to
assist them in preventing this and other injurious practices. I
therefore suggested that this Board should consider the advisability
of requesting the Metropolitan Board to introduce a
Bill for making certain alterations in the law, without waiting
for the introduction of a new Building Bill. The alterations I
suggested were—
1. That road scrapings should not be used for making
mortar, or fine siftings of house refuse for making
plaster.
2. That means should be taken for preventing the ground
damp from penetrating through or rising up the
walls of newly-built houses, by the use of cement or
other suitable material, and the introduction of a
damp-proof course above the ground.
3. That the floor joists should not be laid on the ground
or in channels cut out of the ground, but that in all
cases there should be a clear space of at least one
foot between the joists and the ground, and also
that sufficient means of ventilation should be adopted
for ventilating the space.
4. That the open space in the rear of dwelling houses
being often of such an irregular shape, as not to
admit of sufficient circulation of the contained air,