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20
Wherever nuisances were found to exist preliminary notices
were served upon the person responsible calling attention to the
matter and pointing out the necessary remedial works. If these
notices were not complied with reports were made to the Sanitary
Committee, and the usual statutory notices were authorised to be
served.
I regret to record that in two instances it was found necessary
to institute legal proceedings to procure the abatement of nuisances
arising from overcrowding; in each case an order was made with
costs (vide Table ia). Both were extremely bad cases.
Father, mother, and four children were discovered occupying
one room, used as a living room by day and as a sleeping room at
night, having a cubical capacity of 800 cubic feet. In the other case
three adult persons (two males and one female) occupied one room
under the same conditions with a cubical capacity of 673 cubic feet.
It has not been necessary to institute legal proceedings in
matters regarding drainage, &c., although at times it has been
difficult to obtain compliance with requests made. Indeed I am
afraid that in order to secure greater efficiency it will be necessary
to more strictly enforce the provisions of the Public Health Act.