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84
slaughter-houses, 86 in number, and cow-houses 49 in number, and on
all occasions found them generally satisfactory, and any thing required
for improvement has always been promptly executed.
In two instances, complaints have been made of cow-keepers having
their dung removed at a late hour of the day, and annoying their neighbours
by the smell, I cautioned them against this practice, which has
sincc been discontinued.
In the course of the year, 920 applications were made to have dust
removed, which were all properly attended to by the contractor.
The cleansing of the roads and streets has been generally satisfactory,
during the winter several complaints were made of inefficient
cleansing, caused by the state of the weather, which Avas at that season
subject to sudden and extreme changes, that for a time rendered the
cleansing a work of great difficulty.
The want of properly constructed suitable dwellings for the working
classes, still forms one of the great obstacles to sanitary improvement,
the work of demolition proceeds rapidly, without any adequate means
being taken to provide others; as a matter of course, in houses as in
everything else, a short supply increases not only the demand but also
the price, the consequent result is overcrowding, people are restricted
in house accommodation from inability to pay the rent demanded for
what they really require, the evil effects that flow from such a state of
things are not confined to those of a sanitary character, but are equally
injurious to the social and moral condition of the people.
The great majority of the population of the parish being essentially
industrious, are more easily affected with changes such as are now going
on, and the present transition state must be got over before houses and
rents are restored to a legitimate and permanent settlement.