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upon instructions I laid informations in the police court with a view to
getting the houses closed. These informations were set down for
hearing on November 27th, when it transpired that the Mansion
House Council had also laid informations in respect of the same
houses, which were also set down for hearing on that day. It so
happened that their cases were called first, and so they succeeded in
forestalling me in closing the houses. The evidence of the witnesses
for the Mansion House Council proved that the houses were in far
worse condition than at the time when the second report was made.
This can only be accounted for by assuming that the defects had arisen
in the interval.
The success of the Mansion House Council proves nothing which
they so triumphantly assert in the closing part of their letter to the
Local Government Board.
But for the mere accident of their cases being called first, the
houses would have been closed by the action of the Corporation ; and
that we have not been remiss in enforcing the provisions of the Public
Health Act is proved by the fact that in the year 1893 notices were
served to abate 10,441 nuisances, and 25 public health summonses
were issued. In the year 1894 notices were served to abate 10,811
nuisances, and 65 public health summonses were issued. In the year
1895 notices were served to abate an even greater number of nuisances,
and 76 public health summonses were issued, one case only being
dismissed through failure of evidence.
In reply to the inquiry of the Local Government Board as to
what action has been taken by the Council to enforce the provision of
proper receptacles for ashes and house refuse, I beg to state that in
June, 1887, the Council decided to make an experimental trial of the
pail system for the collection of house refuse in a certain portion of
their district.
A circular intimating this fact and asking the co-operation of the
inhabitants in carrying the scheme into effect was distributed in the
district indicated on the 16th June, 1887. On the 26th July, 1887, a
printed notice was delivered at every house informing the occupiers
that the new system of dust collection would commence on the 4th