IS OUR HEALTH INSPECTION A FARCE?

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 34, 12 February 1929, Page 5

IS OUR HEALTH INSPECTION A FARCE?

COUNCILLORS MAKE SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS. IS DEPARTMENT POWERLESS? A CASE OF BJID DRAINAQE. ' Cr. Ward held the attention of the Borough Council fr, some time last night while ho discoursed on what he oaMed a "running sore in the centre of the town." He suggested that the town was not getting value for the money it spent on health inspection, and wanted to know the powers of the Health Department. As a result of the discussion"the 'running sore" is to be dealt with at once.

The Council, said Cr. Ward, sTiould go carefully into the matter of the powers of their Inspector in health affairs. On Christmas Eve his attention had been drawn to a running sore in the centre of the town.,. Neticing an offensive smell m a shop he was told to look ove r the fence into an adjoining back-yard and) there he saw a sump overflowing. He called Mr Sayers' attention >o it and Mr payers said he would look at it when he had finished with, the Christmas traffic.

dei-stood the work was completed and therefore did not app?y to- the Department' for a demolition order. The Town Clerk was in sfructedl to apply for the order. Or* Moore said the water in the backyard was practically clean. It ran tiTrougli" a fewpipes From a sink in the building. If the grass in tho yard was cut there would bo nothing to object to.. The Mayor said it seemed that Cr. Ward had taken over the Inspector's job and had issued orders to the Inspector should inspect premises an<3

DOCTOR ON HOLIDAY. Early in January he again saw Mr Sayers, but ten days later nothing had been done. Dr.. Mecredy, the Medical Officer of Healthy was away on holiday! nooody had been appointed' to carry on this work] and the local Inspector was powerless to do anything. It was quite wrong for the district to be left without a Medical Officer of Health. As regards a public stable in the town, lie understood demolition crder hod been issued, but that nothing had been done.. It looked as if the Health Department had asked for something to he done which was not necessary. If it wa s necessary to the health of the town they should liave seen that demolition was carried out. Was the Health Department leaving every. thing to the local Inspector? During the Christmas and New Year holidays some lattitude should be allowed as regards backyards. In the rush of business, people could not keeps yards clear, hut at this tim 0 of year everything shou2<fe bo cleared a]wa,y. Yet in otte yard there were hundreds of fruit boxes stacked. The Borough Inspector said it was ~lhe Firo Inspectors job to deal with this matter. MISUNDERSTANDING.

The Town Clerk explained that "o demolition order had been issued* as regards the stable. The Council) gave notice to demolish, and he saw a start made on the work. He un-

should report to 'the Council of one of its committees. f> Cr Ward said he had notTdone any. thing off Ins own bat. He had con. suited as many as possible of the members of the Works Committee and had advised the Inspector what steps he should take. Tt was decided* that the Foreman should the yard tuid takcj what steps were necessary.