[156] Nothing can be more vexatious than the bye-law compelling the party walls of new buildings to be carried up above the roof to at least 12 inches; not only does this frequently spoil the architectural appearance of a building, but it causes great expense in order to keep the wet out: a very difficult thing with a wall treated in this manner. CHAPTER XIX. SCAVENGING. In a great number of towns in this country the town surveyor has charge of the unostentatious, though very necessary sanitary work of the scavenging of the district over which he has charge, and the following are the clauses of the Public Health Act 1875, under which he carries out his duties: “Every local authority may, and when required by order of the Local Government Board shall, themselves undertake or contract for-- “The removal of house refuse from premises; “The cleansing of earthclosets, privies, ashpits, and cesspools; either for the whole or any part of their district: Moreover every urban authority and any rural authority invested by the Local Government Board with the requisite powers may, and when required by the said board shall, themselves undertake or contract for the proper cleansing of streets, and may also themselves undertake or contract for the proper watering of streets for the whole or any part of their district. “All matters collected by the local authority or contractor in pursuance of this section may be sold or otherwise disposed of, and any profits thus made by an urban authority shall be carried to the account of the fund or rate applicable by them for the general purposes of this Act; and any profits thus made by a rural authority in respect of any contributory place shall be carried to the account of the fund or rate out of which expenses incurred under this section by that authority in such contributory place are defrayed. “If any person removes or obstructs the local authority or contractor in removing any matters by this section authorised to be removed by the local authority, he shall for each offence be liable to a penalty not exceeding five pounds: Provided that the occupier of the house within the district shall not be liable to such penalty in respect of any such matters which are produced on his own premises and are intended to be removed for sale or for his own use, and are in the meantime kept so as not to be a nuisance” (38 & 39 Vic. c. 55, s. 42). The next clause imposes a penalty on the local authority if they fail “without reasonable excuse after notice in writing from the occupier of any house” to cleanse the ashpit, &c., within seven days if they have “themselves undertaken or contracted for the removal of house refuse” &c., and the next clause is as follows: “Where the local authority do not themselves undertake or contract for, “The cleansing of footways and pavements adjoining any premises; “The removal of house refuse from any premises;