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7
The difficulties experienced in the normal working of the
Department owing to the extensive nature of the war damage, the
effects of licensing arising from restriction of quota and the
confusion that existed in this direction between the Public Health
and Licensing Departments', and the shortage of essential building
materials and sanitary fittings caused such a feeling of frustration
that practically every sanitary inspector who was able to do so
applied for appointments elsewhere, and the Department was at
one time six sanitary inspectors short of establishment, at a time
when the complaints had trebled. There appeared to be the possibility
at one time of losing approximately half the staff of sanitary
inspectors, who number 23 in all.
It will be appreciated that as a result of war damage and
lack of ordinary maintenance during the war years, house property
and living accommodation in the Borough was in a very bad
condition and people were living in circumstances which called
for urgent remedy. While the war was proceeding and immediately
afterwards the public realised that repairs could not be carried out
rapidly, and they patiently endured all kinds of discomforts.
Later they were buoyed up with the prospect of the Council repairing
the war damage, and still remained patiently waiting for this to be
done. When, however, the Council decided not to carry out further
war damage repairs, and thousands of houses urgently needing
repair were handed back to owners, the public immediately turned
to the Public Health Department for some action to be taken to
get the work carried out, but owing to circumstances outside the
control of the Public Health Department it was impossible to deal
with this volume of requests without considerable delay. Moreover,
there was not only the difficulty arising from licensing, there was
also a shortage of materials. For instance, owing to the impossibility
of getting two-piece pans and traps, it was necessary to place
approximately 30 Elsan (Civil Defence) closets on loan in dwellings
and even the Housing Department were obliged to ask for some of
these closets for requisitioned premises.
It was impossible to get slates for roofs, cement for urgent work
such as drainage work, plaster board and plaster. At this time the
very greatest help was given to the Department by the Regional
Materials Officer of the Ministry of Works, and it was very largely
owing to the assistance given by this Officer that the Department
was able to obtain materials to enable very urgent repairs to be
carried out. The Borough Engineer was also able to obtain materials,
at no cost to the Council, for this purpose. A number of memoranda
were circulated by me, both to the Public Health Committee and the
Establishment and General Purposes Committee on the difficulties
experienced by the Public Health Department; it is sufficient, to
state that these difficulties were experienced and were recorded.