Dr Morgan Rees's report to the Local Government Board on conditions of housing and other sanitary circumstances in the St Dogmells Rural District.

  • Rees, Morgan J.
Date:
1913
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Dr Morgan Rees's report to the Local Government Board on conditions of housing and other sanitary circumstances in the St Dogmells Rural District. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Dr. Morgan Rees’s Report to the Local Govern- ment Board on Conditions of Housing and other Sanitary Circumstances in the St. Dogmells Rural District. G. S. Buchanan, Assistant Medical Officer. 5tli September, 19,13. Tbe annual report for tlie year 19.11 of the county medical officer of health tor Pembroke drew attention to the housing con- ditions, which he described as wretched, that prevailed in that county, and named two local authorities who apparently had decided to take no further action under the Housing and Town Planning, &c. Act, 1909. One of these was the St. Dogmells Pural District Council with which the Board had already been in correspondence ‘in regard to the insufficient information as to housing provided in the annual report of the medical officer of health for 1910. At a meeting held on February 8th, 1912, this district council had passed a resolution quoted in the Appendix which concluded with the expression of opinion that the local rates are so over- burdened as to render it impossible for them to bear the cost of providing the new houses and other laudable conveniences recommended by the Act.’^ This resolution, together with the annual report of the medical officer of health of the district, con- tained so little in the way of indication that the powers and duties of a district council under the Housing Acts and Pegula- tions were being seriously undertaken in St. Dogmells that the Board wwote in November to draw attention to the resolution and to ask for reconsideration of the matter by the district council. The council replied that while this council does move under tlie Housing and Town Planning, &c.. Act, 1909, any of the extreme steps advocated by the Act are unnecessary in their district.” This reply raised a question of fact on Avhich the Board desired to obtain direct evidence from one of tbeir inspectors, while it seemed also desirable to obtain information as to general sanitary administration under the Public Health Acts in the district. I visited the district and now beg to report as follows : — Fo rmer inspections.—The district has been reported upon nlready on two occasions; ooce in 1870 by the late Mr. Netten Patcliffe, who made inquiry, on behalf of tlie Privy Council, into outbreaks of enteric fever at St. Dogmells and Cilgerran; and again in 1899 by Dr. Deane Sweeting vdio reported, on behalf of the Board, on the sanitary circumstances and administration of the rural district. No. 82. (B0357—21.) Wt. 9800—934. 500. 9/18. D & R.
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