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the dwellings have been cleansed and well repaired, thereby less
exposed to unremunerative decay, and the Sanitary accommodation
made more suitable for the tenant's welfare.
Inspector Alexander reports that he has carefully examined
1,148 premises in the year, and he found it requisite to serve
"Sanitary Notices" requiring the abatement of nuisances (in
accordance with the "Nuisances Removal and Diseases Prevention
Acts") in 1,0.10 of these premises. The nuisances were of many
kinds;—in 346 of the premises the stack pipes, connected with the
roofs and the drains of the houses, were so placed and defectively
constructed that sewer gas could escape into the dwellings by the
bedroom windows. In 277 the waste pipes of sinks were untrapped
and allowed sewer gases to enter the dwellings. In 619 the
closets were in an unsuitable condition;—they required to bo
cleansed and repaired in 406 premises, and the water laid on in
619 premises. In 675 dwellings the yards were in an injurious
condition;—their walls exceedingly dirty in 250; and the pavement
so defective that the basements of the houses were exposed to
much dampness in 425.
The water supply for drinking purposes was much improved
in 137 dwellings;—in the place of unclean cisterns; the tenants
were enabled to draw the water direct from the main. In 511
houses the walls and ceilings required cleansing and repairing. In
146 the roofs required repairing; In 97 the floors had to be repaired
to render the houses fit for habitation. All these nuisances dangerous
to health have been removed; and the materials used are durable;
and what work was done, has been well done.
The Inspector calls more particular attention to some premises
in (it. Cambridge St.; for the nuisances he found there were
common instances of what ho has had frequently to deal with; the
drain pipes under the houses had been constructed in the most
irregular and careless manner, resulting in the basements of all the
houses being largely infested with rats and impregnated with
sewer gases—and owing to the pipes of the closet drains being
badly fitted into each other, the ground adjoining the house had
become soddened with fœcal matters. Sewer gases had escaped by