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94
House to House Inspection.—As much time as possible has
been given to this important branch of the work, but in consequence
of the large increase in the number of infectious diseases
that had to be investigated, and the ever increasing number of
domestic workshops and outworkers, the time for house to house
inspection has been limited.
There is no more important part of an Inspector's work than
that of systematic house to house inspection, for it is only by this
means that many serious nuisances are disclosed. There still exist
many people who patiently endure nuisances without complaining,
whilst on the other hand there is a large number who
write long letters complaining of imaginary bad smells, or of
something they consider ought to be done which is being left
undone. The method adopted for the inspectorial work is to
utilise the mornings for visiting infectious diseases and matters
of urgency, and the afternoons for supervision of structural works
and house to house visitation. More useful and beneficial work
could be done if much of the Inspectors' time was not wasted
by making fruitless journeys in search of outworkers who do not
exist, but whose names and addresses have at some time been on
the register of a City house, and carelessly returned as being still
in their employ. During the past year some 217 visits have been
to no purpose.
Contagious Diseases Animals Act (1886).—Since my appointment
by the Council, early in 1906, to the office of Inspector
under the Contagious Diseases of Animals Act, one has had a busy
time, for in May of that year Swine Fever broke out in the
Allotments situated in Langdon Crescent, Wall End, and there
has been a continuity of these outbreaks from that date. The
situation has become so serious that the Board of Agriculture
issued a Special Order, known as the East Ham Allotment
(Swine Fever) Order, which enforces restrictions upon pig-keeping
within the area affected. It also necessitates a considerable
amount of work for the Inspector and Deputy-Inspectors, for no
pigs can be removed in or out of the Allotments without the
Inspector's License. Pigs for market must be conveyed to a
Licensed Slaughter House in the Borough, be marked in a