BOROUGH SANITATION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 59, 15 February 1916, Page 7

BOROUGH SANITATION.

DISTRICT HEALTH OFFICER'S VIEWS. At the Borough Council meeting last evening the following letter was read from Mr Sydney Smith, district health officer:— Sir, —Inspector Middleton, who recently interviewed you in connection with the above matter, has placed hefore me your letter to him of the 14th January. With reference to your query. I have to say that it was for the more congested part of the Borough that our Inspector intimated that a month's time would he required. As it is impossible to do more than six to ten houses per day, the time necessary for a house to house inspection, including the preparation of reports, would he at least three months, and possibly longer. Such general inspection would not further any permanent improvement unless followed up periodically. In this regard 1 might point out that my previous report to your Borough re sanitation has not yet been fully complied with and an inspection is of no earthly use unless the recommendations forwarded, as a result of such inspection, are energetically carried out by your Council. This Department has assisted your Council by sending a special officer to report on some of the premises in the Borough. Typical examples were chosen and special recommendations were made out and forwarded to the Council for general guidance. Your Council is, of course, responsible for the sanitary condition of your borough, and your staff should he competent to deal with any matters that arise in connection therewith. You have ample powers in the local by-Jaws, the Public Health Act, and the Municipal Corporations Act to prevent insanitary conditions, and as heretofore we shall always be glad to advise you on particular points or in connection with the procedure to adopt in obstructive cases. I shall be glad to hear from you at an early date as to whether you are proceeding with a general inspection of the borough by your own officials and also that you are rigidly enforcing your by-laws, etc., in connection with all new work.

The Mayor said they could see that it would be three months before they could .get a report, and it would be some time before they could enforce the recommendations. He said there was nothing to be alarmed at in Stratford, and the Council's officers were attending to the matter. The letter was received.