Sanitary Inspectors.-13nrough Councils vary somewhat in the condi tions they impose upon candidates for appointment as Sanitary Inspectors. In some districts they have appointed men possessing a local reputation as bricklayers' foremen, or architects' assistants, but without any intimate tech nical knowledge. But in such cases local favouritism has ruled the appoint ment. The average candidate must, however, be prepared with up-to-date qualifications. lie should possess knowledge of elementary physics and chemistry in relation to water, soil, air, and ventilation ; also of building construction in its sanitary relations, measurements and drawing plans to scale; and understand the practical duties of a sanitary inspector in respect to drawing up notices as to sanitary defects, taking samples of water, food, and drugs for analysis, food inspection, drain testing and disinfection, methods of inspection, note-taking, and reporting.
The Sanitary Inspectors' Examination Board holds examination of those desirous of qualifying for the post in the metropolitan area, and it may be useful to state that the Board recognises as a substitute for the oreliwinarit examination the following examinations :—Junior Local of Oxford or Cam bridge, the Junior Certificate of the Central Welsh Board, the third-class Certificate of the College of Preceptors, the Local Examination of the Examination Board of the National Union of Teachers, or any equivalent or higher examination comprising all the subjects stated in the Sanitary Inspec tors' Examination Board for the preliminary examination. Later lie has to pass the technical examination. He must then be twenty-one years of age
and submit evidence of training, and give proof that he has served three years as Sanitary Inspector or a somewhat similar office. The salary is usually between ,L1.00 and 1'250 a year.
School Attendance School Attendance Officer is now under the control of the municipality through its Education Committee, being one of the officers transferred by the Act of 1902 from the School Boards. His duty is to obtain as high a percentage as possible of attend ances at the Elementary Schools in the borough. The measure of the officer's success is demonstrated by the attendances percentage. Per this purpose he has to be in constant touch with the head masters and head mistresses, and to visit the homes of the children in cases of their absence from school and to become acquainted with the reasons for such absence. Repeated absences without sufficient cause mean a prosecution, and the officer has to take the necessary legal steps to secure a conviction by bringing the parent before the magistrates. The officer may on occasions have to examine the children concerning their knowledge before the necessary legal steps are taken. In some localities the duties may be associated with other work, but in towns of any size the officer has to devote his whole time to the work.
The salary varies from r.e90 to £150. In large boroughs or county dis tricts a superintendent officer is appointed, whose duty consists in controlling the work of the subordinate officers and devising every possible means of se,_uring regular attendance of children at the elementary schools.