[Report 1896] / Public Health Committee, Edinburgh City.

  • Edinburgh (Scotland). City Council. Public Health Committee.
Date:
1896
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: [Report 1896] / Public Health Committee, Edinburgh City. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    REPORT OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE OF THE CITY OF EDINBURGH FOR THE YEAR ENDING 15th MAY 1896. It has not been the practice hitherto for Committees of the Town Council Desirability of de- to submit annual reports, or, indeed, detailed reports of any kind, upon their vamuTcommittee^ ordinary operations. A knowledge of these can only be gathered by outsiders of tlie Town Council, from occasional statements at meetings of Council, or in the minutes of the Council proceedings, or from the published accounts which show the objects to which the different Committees have applied the share of the rates placed at their disposal. It would be for the public convenience, and would probably prove most serviceable in the general work of the Council, if the practice were introduced of the various committees drawing up an annual statement upon their operations during each financial year. If, further, such a report set forth each new development of the Committee’s work, with explanations of the needs which give rise to it, of how much it may be likely to cost, and the ad- vantages expected to flow from it, the public would probably acquiesce with greater willingness, because with better knowledge, in bearing the charges entailed by needful improvements. In any case, the work of the Public Health Committee has become so extensive, and touches the interest of the ratepayers at so many points, that it seems in every way desirable to attempt a beginning with an annual report which shall seek to give a clear and succinct account of the work carried on in the several departments under the supervision of the Committee. With the exception of the Committee of Electric Lighting, the Public Health Com- mittee is the most recent standing Committee of the Town Council. It came into existence only twenty-four years ago. It is worth while to quote from the Minutes of the Council the following account of the proceedings which led to the formation of the Committee. Excerpt from tlic Minutes of the Town Council of Edinburgh of 19th November 1872. There was submitted Report by the Special Committee appointed on 6th Origin of Public August 1872, on the motion of Bailie Lewis, “ to report on a better organisation Health Committee, “ for accomplishing the Sanitary business of the City under the Public Health “ Act,” whereof the tenour follows :—