Dr. E.P. Manby's report to the Local Government Board upon the sanitary circumstances and administration of the County Borough of West Hartlepool.

  • Manby, E. P.
Date:
1912
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Dr. E.P. Manby's report to the Local Government Board upon the sanitary circumstances and administration of the County Borough of West Hartlepool. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    House Dntins are tested with smoke by officers of tlie surveyor’.s de})artment in new, and by the inspector of nnisances in old, buildings. Interce})ting traps are in general use. Excrement disposal is by water-closets, by privy-middens, and by moveable receptacles. There are approximately 10,644 water- closets, 8,0,56 privy-middens, and 900 moveable receptacles in West Hartlepool. Tlie existence of so large a number of privy- middens is one of the worst features of the town. The closeness of the houses to one another, and the smallness of the back yards in most instances, accentuate the objection which always attaches to privy-middens. But not a few belter class houses with ample yard space have privy-middens. I met with many instances of the privy being Avithin 4 or ,5 feet of the back door, and of the downstairs sleeping-room, which is frequently found in West Hartlepool. At one house in Mary Street the distance betAveen the J)rivy and the bedroom Avindow was but 2 feet 7 incdies. About 100 privies have been converted, to water-closets each year of late, as a result of action taken under the l^ublic Health Act, 1875. This is quite an inadequate rate of conversion for so large a toAvn as West Hartlepool. The council could secure the systematic conversion of privies under Section 39 of the Public Health Acts Amendment Act, 1907, if necessary obtaining a loan for the purpose ; and this shoidd receive their early consideration. Refuse disposal is effected by privy-middens, and by moveable open ash-bins, of Avhich about 10,000 exist. Some of these are dilapidated, and I saw instances of the receptacle being missing altogether. Frequently the door closing the opening by which the ashpan is draAvn out is partially or completely destroyed. The town council are endeavouring to secure the provision of upright covered sanitary dustbins, Avhich stand within the yard, and cannot therefore be “ picked over ” from outside. It Avoidd be a great advantage if this arrangement were adopted generally in the district. The Cleansinp of Privies and of other receptacles for hltli and for domestic refuse is in the hands of officers of the toAvn council, except that the team labour is contracted for, and that at Seaton Carew the work is done entirely by contract. The back streets of West Hartlepool are mostly Avide and well jjaved, but their surface is often fouled in the process of privy- cleansing, especially in those cases Avhere it is necessary for the scavenger to enter the midden and shovel the filth on .to the roadway before it can be removed. Refuse is for the most part destroyed in the corporation destructor, but a small amount of wet refuse is deposited iqion farm land. Co)umon Lodpinp Houses, find Houses let in Jjodfjinys,—There arc nine of the former and eleven of the hitter iqion the registers. It is probable that there are many more sub-let houses, but they have not been detected at present. I visited most of the common lodging houses, and with two or three exceptions I found them to be fairly well kept. Many double beds exist in common lodging houses where married couples are not