View report page

21
house was occupied for legal purposes, and without such overcrowding
as is dangerous to health ; and shall, if the house be in
an insanitary condition, be estimated as if the house had been put
into a sanitary condition, deducting the estimated cost of such
outlay, and if the house cannot reasonably be made fit for human
habitation, then the compensation shall be estimated at the value
of the land and the materials of the building thereon.
Customs Act,
1890.
The Customs and Inland Revenue Act, 1890,
imposes certain new duties upon the Medical Officer
of Health. Section 26, the only section having
reference to the subject, provides that, "The Assessment to
inhabited house duty of any house originally built or adapted by
addition or additions, and used for the sole purpose of providing
dwellings for persons at rents not exceeding seven shillings and
sixpence a week, and occupied only by persons paying such rents,
shall be discharged by the said Commissioners, provided that a
certificate of the Medical Officer of Health for the district in which
the house is situate, or other medical practitioner appointed as
hereinafter provided shall be produced to them to the effect that
the house is so constructed as to afford suitable accomodation for
each of the families or persons inhabiting it, and that due provision
is made for their Sanitary requirements.
The Medical Officer of Health of a district, on request by the
person who would be liable to pay the house duty on any house in
the district, if the duty were not discharged as aforesaid, shall
examine the house for the purpose of ascertaining whether such a
certificate can properly be given and if the house be constructed
so as to afford such accomodation and due provision is made as
aforesaid shall certify the same accordingly, provided that the
authority, if they arc of opinion that the duties that would devolve
upon the Medical Officer of Health under this section could not
be performed by him without interference with the due performance
of his ordinary duties, may appoint some other legally qualified