Report to the General Board of Health on a memorial from the ratepayers against application of the Public Health Act to Northallerton / by William Ranger, Superintending Inspector.

  • Ranger, William, 1800-1863.
Date:
1851
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report to the General Board of Health on a memorial from the ratepayers against application of the Public Health Act to Northallerton / by William Ranger, Superintending Inspector. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    jleanse the streets and deposit the soil and refuse outside of the own: but he does not extend the process of cleansing to any ot he numerous courts, passages, or yards in front and close to the louses occupied by the poorer and working classes, and where leaps of manure and refuse abound. j .i, . With respect to the present mode of water supply, 1 found that he occupants of the houses were generally obliged to fetch it in lails from yards at various distances from their dwellings. Some )f these wells, I found at the time of my inspection, were polluted vith sewage water from the overflow of the neighbouring drains. I think that the above evidence will be sufficient to prove, to he satisfaction of every unprejudiced person, that there is great leed for the application of the Act, and that until the town is Drought under the supervision of the Board, it is impossible that he existing evils of a scanty water supply, and a deficient system )f sewerage and of privy accommodation, can be effectually or completely removed. The last statement in the Memorial is this : — “ That if the Public Health Act be carried into effect in the town of !^orthallerton, it will be attended with considerable and unnecessary ‘xpense to the ratepayers, and that your petitioners therefore humbly way that your Honourable Board will take the premises into your earnest consideration, and not carry the provisions of the Public dealth Act into effect in the town of Northallerton.” As to the expense attendant upon the working of the Act, the aying out of efficient drainage and sewerage, and making pro- dsion for a plentiful supply of water, must of necessity involve considerable cost; but all experience proves that no outlay of noney is so well made as that which provides the means of public lealth, and that the neglect of such precautions is as sure to be ittcnded by an increase of local taxation, as that good sanitary regulations will cause a large reduction in existing burdens; and think that, in this instance, the Memorialists are labouring inder a complete misconception of the effect of the application of he Act. Before closing my Report, I wish to mention two subjects, which, though not attended to by the Memorialists, have formed i ground of objection to some persons, who have otherwise been in favour of the Act. In my Report I recommended that no person should be qualified to become a member of the Local Board unless rated to the relief of the poor at the sum of 30/. annually. Certain of the ratepayers have objected to this qualification, and proposed that 20/. should be the sum named. I cannot, however, agree to this proposed alteration, for I consider the amount I Driginally named not more than sufficient, under ordinary circum- stances, to ensure the proper carrying out of the provisions of the Public Health Act. In conclusion, I bog respectfully to repeat the opinion which I