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19
Houses with sanitary defects, included in the list of
the Mansion House Council, of which notice was
given to the Vestry, but not dealt with 255
Houses with sanitary defects, included in the
second list of which notice was not given 118
Houses not dealt with 373
Alleged sanitary defects in the above houses, found by our inspection generally to exist
excluding those under notice:—
Dilapidated and dirty houses 62
Houses with structural defects, i.e., floors below street, &c. 88
Defective gutters and stack pipes 6
Water closets without water supply 564
(Note.—The notices of Vestry did not include water supply to closets.)
Defective and foul pans 34
Unpaved and badly paved yards 87
Defective yard traps, &c. 24
Untrapped sinks 1
Uncovered cisterns 2
No dust bins 43
Dilapidated dust bins 25
The inquiry was resumed at the Board Room on 30th November, 1888.
Mr. R. Render Harris. Barrister, appeared on behalf of the Mansion House Council.
Mr. Meadows White, Q.C., appeared on behalf of the Vestry.
The following gentlemen were examined:—
Dr. Parkes, Medical Officer of the Council.
Dr. Shaw, the Medical Officer of Health.
Mr. George Legg, Surveyor of Sewers to the Vestry.
Mr. Edward Thomas, Surveyor of Pavements to the Vestry.
Mr. Joseph Edwards, Sanitary Inspector to the Vestry.
Mr. Stokes, Clerk to the Vestry.
The contention of the Mansion House Council was:—
1st.—That the Parish in its poorer parts was in an insanitary condition.
2nd.—That the Vestry have power under existing laws to remedy this state of things.
3rd.—That the Vestry have not only power to remedy this state of things, but the
obligation is imposed on them by the Legislature to enforce the laws.
4th.—T hat there was on absence of proper supervision under two heads—
(a) There being but one Medical Officer of Health, and but a part of his
time being given to the work;
(b) There being but one Sanitary Inspector.
In reply, the contention of the Vestry was:—
1st.—That the Parish is not in an insanitary condition, and in proof of this they
instance the death rate, which they allege compares favourably with adjoining
Parishes.
2nd.—That great difficulty is found in exercising the powers under Torren's Act.
It was further contended that the great age of the houses, and their be:ng held in
many cases by persons without means, rendered the application of the Acts
difficult, if not impossible.