The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-06-20
Report of R. W, Walker Makes Numerous Recommendations
BOARD OF HEALTH MEETS
Take Up Complaint Made Against Walker and Say No Authorized Person Has Complained
 to Them.

The annual report of R. W. Walker, | chief of the sanitary department for the year 1901 shows the sanitary conditions of Birmingham to be very bad and calls attention to the fact that a number of conditions are defective. His report is as follows.
 ''I herewith submit my report for the year 1901 The year has been an exceed ingly hard one in this department owing to the increased duties and limited as- slstance
 All complaints have received prompt attention. many Inspections have been made end orders given to acate nuisances and clean premises. The work of fagging, fumigating and disinfecting houses to II event the spread of infectious and con tagious diseases has received prompt at tention and this has added largely to the numerous duties pertaining to this or flee. I have been forced to do a great dea of this work at night and on Sun days. It has been impossible for me to maintain a system of house to house h. specti9n with only one assistant. This In my opinion is very important and suf- ficient fierce should be provided to keep up thls part of the work at least ourlng the spring and summer months.
 Tenement Houses and Office Buildings.
 'In the central portion of the city there gre a number of tenement houses occu- pied by a large number of people and in many instances various nationalities. These people know and care nothing about sanitary rules and requirements. consequently the buildings become very filthy, the halls, courts, stairways and water clesets receive no attention which makes the condition exceedingly bad There are also a number Of buildings used for office purposes which are kept almost as filthy as the tenement houses there teing no one to look sfter thu halis' courts water closets and stairways they soon become very filthy snd there seems to be no one responsible for 1t, therefore I recommend that all owners or agents renting or leasing buildings for tenement Or office purposes be required to provide a tanitor whose duty 1t shaai be to look A 1anitor whose duty it shall be to look buildings.
 Plumbing.
 .I desire to call your attention to the inferior rlumbing in many Of the old buildings in this city. Ordinances con dennirg all plumbing not In accordance with the present regulations should be Ystsed, and practical plumber employed to make an inspection of all plumbing in the city, and heve the same put In such condition as will meet the requirements on file in the ctfice of tho city engineer The old-stylsd alley water closet should he stricken from the present regulations. os they arc unss nitary and unfit for use. Garbage.
 ..The removal of the garbage from the city has been more satisfactory during the past year than the preceding one. but is far from perfect, and in my opinion can never be satisfactory under a sys- tenn that only requires 1t to be moved once a week. During the summer months kitchen garbage will ferment. and foul cdors arise From 1t, which is very naus- eating and offensive before 1t is three days' old. During the winter months tho accumulation Of ashes Is so great that IL is unsatisfactory to the citizens to be compelled to keep them on their premises a week, and to pile them in the alleys is very objectionable. I recommend that some system be inaugurated by which all garbage can be moved from the city three times n week during the summer months end twice a week during the winter months.
 'I fad that many of our city ordinances and sanitary regulations are defective and recommend that all ordinances and reg ulations governing the health and sani- tary departments be revised or amended to suit the present conditions" The following report Is made on infec- tious diseases: