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unless owners, whether the owners are public bodies or private
individuals, and tenants co-operate in this matter, re-infestation is
absolutely certain to recur again and again if suitable steps are not
taken to prevent it. If, then, the County Council or Borough
Council Housing Committee or private Housing Associations merely
regard this question as a responsibility of the Borough Public
Health Department, instead of taking means, as far as is practicable,
to keep premises free of bugs, all the trouble and all the expense
will fall upon the Public Health Department and the Public Health
Committee who, not being concerned with management of the
housing estates, are quite helpless, so far as maintaining permanent
freedom from this condition is concerned. The expense, a needlessly
incurred and useless expense unless appropriate steps are
taken by the management committee concerned, may become
enormous.
Removal of Aged and Infirm Persons.—Action was taken in two
cases during the year under Section 28 of the London County
Council (General Powers) Act, 1928, which gives authority for the
compulsory removal to an institution of persons who are aged or
infirm or physically incapacitated and residing in premises which
are insanitary and who cannot devote to themselves or receive from
persons with whom they reside proper care and attention. A
magistrate's Order for removal to hospital was obtained in each
case. Both cases were senile, but not mentally infirm; in one
case bronchitis and debility had led to the insanitary condition of
the room, in the other case impairment of hearing and vision.
Shops Act, 1934.
This Act, which came into operation on the 30th December,
1934, places upon Metropolitan Borough Councils responsibility for
ensuring that suitable and sufficient means of ventilating and
maintaining a reasonable temperature shall be provided in every
shop in which persons are employed about the business of the shop
and that suitable and sufficient sanitary conveniences are available
in every such shop not being a shop exempted by the Council from
this requirement of the Act.
During the past year 896 inspections of shops were made under
the Act and fourteen notices were served requiring the provision
of sanitary conveniences and improved ventilation.
Swimming Baths and Pools.
There are three swimming baths in the Council's Central Public
Baths at Lower Clapton Road, the total capacity of the baths being