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188
directions; thus, both the time and energy of the men are wasted by the
amount of travelling they have to undertake over the 648 acres of the parish.
I would recommend, therefore, that a definite district be assigned to one man,
who shall be responsible for the proper carrying out in his districts of all the
duties of a sanitary inspector, excepting such special duties as you desire to
otherwise arrange for. By this means I believe the work will be more
efficiently and readily accomplished, and each officer will be able to become
experienced in all the duties of a sanitary inspector.
"There are several ways in which the staff at your command may be
utilised. Either you may make all your inspectors of equal rank and have
a sufficient number of them to divide the parish among them, so that each
shall be responsible for all the work in his portion, including the examination
of houses for registration purposes, but excluding the execution of the Food
and Drugs Act; or you may continue the practice of having a chief sanitary
inspector, so that while each inspector would report daily to me the work
done, they would be under the direct supervision of the chief sanitary
inspector; and I consider Mr. Alexander's knowledge of the parish, and his
long experience in it, must be of great service both to the Yestry and to the
inspectors. Certain duties under the Act will require a considerable amount
of skill and care in dealing with them, especially at the first, and I would
recommend, if you adopt this plan, that the execution of the bye-laws in
connection with houses let in tenements, and with cellar dwellings, should not
be, for the present, part of the work of the district inspectors, but should be
allotted to the chief sanitary inspector. One of the inspectors will have to be
appointed inspector under the Food and Drugs Act for the whole of the
parish.
"Under either scheme it will be necessary that you strengthen your
staff, in order that the work be dealt with to your satisfaction, and I do not
see my way to suggest that this increase be less than two, as even under the
old Acts there was sufficient work to fully occupy the time of another
inspector. Under the first-mentioned plan the parish would be divided into
four parts, to each of which an inspector would be appointed, and the fifth
man would have charge of smoke prevention, taking samples of foods, and
assisting in clearing the street markets, in office work, and in any special work
on hand; thus, for the first year at least, there would be ample work for him
in assisting to measure rooms with the other inspectors. This fifth man
might be called an assistant inspector.
"Under the second scheme the parish would still be divided into four,
but all the work under the lodging house and cellar dwellings bye-laws would
be taken from the ordinary inspectors and given to the chief inspector as
as already mentioned.