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13
find the place in such, condition as to require a notice to be served upon
the landlord.
It is only by the constant inspection and re-inspection of property
inhabited by tenants of this class that the houses can be kept in
decent sanitary condition, and the 20th clause of the Sanitary Act,
1866, lays down that "It shall be the duty of the Nuisance Authority
to make from time to time, either by itself or its officers, inspection of
the district with a view to ascertain what nuisances exist calling for
abatement under the powers of the Nuisance Removal Acts, and to
enforce the provisions of the said Acts, in order to cause the abatement
thereof."
Additional powers for this purpose are given by the 35th section of
the same Act, and the time has now arrived when that clause should
be put in operation by an application from this Yestry to the Local
Government Board for power to make regulations as to lodginghouses.
This would, of course, entail periodical inspections to see
that these regulations were carried out.
Now the time at the disposal of your existing staff would not enable
them to do this, and the Inspectors at present examine only those
houses where cases of infectious disease are reported, together with
such others as are brought under their notice by complaints of
nuisances from medical men, clergymen, district visitors, and others.
The duty of attending to these complaints, serving and following up
the necessary notices, disinfecting after cases of infectious disease, the
periodical inspection of trade premises, together with functions under
the Food and Drugs' Acts and attendance at the police court, pretty
well fill up their time.
Notwithstanding this, I cannot too strongly urge upon the Yestry
the absolute necessity for thoroughly carrying out the Act just quoted
periodically and systematically. House to house visitation of the
whole of the tenement houses in the parish should be instituted, and
continued regularly; and, in order that this may be done, a reorganization
of the Sanitary Department is necessary, and additional
help should be provided. I hope I shall not be considered presumptuous
if I sketch out the following plan:—
1st.—Mr. Burrows, Sen., to be relieved of his duties as Inspector of
Nuisances for the No. 3 District, and be appointed Food Inspector
and Disinfecting Officer for the whole parish.