Mr. F. S. F. Piper in his first annual report as Sanitary Inspector to the Rushden Urban Council, presented on Wednesday, makes the following comments:-

It has been necessary to serve only one statutory notice under the Public Health Acts, although 169 preliminary notices were served. Of this number 136 have been complied with, and the remainder, I understand, are receiving attention. Of the total of 1247 visits made, 275 were to slaughter houses and other food premises. I had received 122 complaints.

Acting on the instructions of the Council I inspected dwellings from time to time, respecting the provision of proper receptacles for house refuse. Of the 135 inspected up to the end of the year, 75 have been provided with galvanised iron ash-bins. In some cases no provision had been made. I served eleven notices calling attention to the accumulation of house refuse.

Some of the houses inspected under the Housing and Town Planning Acts were found to be in so old and defective a condition as to warrant closing orders, but the Council felt that, owing to the shortage of houses, the property should be repaired and made habitable as far as possible. There is still a crying need of houses, verified by the number of complaints I have received regarding overcrowding, which will be overcome by the Council’s housing scheme which is now in progress, and, if circumstances permit, by private enterprise.

The ten workshop bakehouses on the register have been kept in a cleanly state. Eight milk-shops and dairies were inspected, and in one instance it was found necessary to call attention to the dirty condition of the milk store, which was thoroughly cleansed and limewashed as soon as possible. In many instances milk is sold from premises containing mixed commodities, such as potatoes and other vegetables which give off dust and repugnant odours. In such places especially, it is essential that the milk should be kept covered. As it is a great factor of our food supply, this practice should be rigidly exercised, helping to exclude any external contamination. Ice cream premises have been improved. Fried fish shops have been kept clean, and have not caused complaints.