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but a year or so of occupation has manifested that the labor and
the capital were wasted.
These premises are notorious to your Vestry; their defects have
been so often reported to the Sanitary Authority; and when contagious
diseases prevailed in the Parish it occurred in these dwellings
in an exceptional degree owing to the injurious condition of the
premises, and to the destitution and uncleanliness of the occupants.
These facts and experiences have compelled your Medical Officer to
report these houses, together with a number of other dwellings
named in the Inspector's Report, to the Metropolitan Board of
Works, as unfit for human habitation; under the "Artizans'
Dwellings Improvement ('Cross') Acts." But the Metropolitan
Board of Works has declined to bring the houses under the operation
of the Act.
DRAINS.—A large proportion of the Inspector's time has
been occupied in securing better drains for dwellings. In many
premises these are astoundingly defective, and it is beyond question
that the water carriage of the sewage, as at present in use in many
premises is a failure; where drainage is most needed, (that is to
remove sewage from the dwellings), it fails to prevent accumulations
of sewer gas and soil deposits; and the careless manner in which the
drains have in many instances been constructed, renders them
dangerous. These drains not only fail to carry off the sewage
adequately, but they saturate the ground around the dwellings with
increasing accumulation of sewage.
THE CONSTANT WATER SUPPLY.—Has been in
operation throughout the Parish several years, and shews its
advantage over the intermittent supply, the inhabitants obtain
fresher and cleaner water. Wherever water butts are found they
are ordered to be removed; only 12 have been met with this year.
In 548 dwellings during the past year, alterations have been
made to enable the inhabitants to obtain their supply of water
direct from the main, instead of drawing from cisterns.
The inhabitants have occasionally complained that they have
not a constant service of water, but the interruptions were only for