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 472 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

division are not required to report at headquarters in person more than twice a week. In one corner sits the complaint clerk with a large "Complaint Book." In this all-important volume are entered, as soon as received, the complaints from all sources, whether verbal or written, which require the services of an inspector. And here also is recorded, under its proper filing number, the action taken upon each complaint, and its final dis- position. The complaints are then sorted by the clerk, and forwarded to the proper inspector or sanitary officer at the beginning of each day.

Each citizen's complaint is personally investigated by the proper inspector, if possible on the day of its receipt, and is then returned to headquarters with his report thereon. If that report shows a condition "dangerous to life" or "detrimental to health," and states fully the particular conditions which make it dangerous, it is at once classed as a "nuisance" demanding abatement and properly indorsed by the chief of the division. Sometimes the nuisance complained of may be one which, in the opinion of the chief, can be best abated by the inspector per- sonally calling the attention of the responsible parties to it. In such a case he so states in his indorsement of the report. In any event, all inspectors who, in the course of their daily tours, detect nuisances and violations of the Sanitary Code are expected to call the attention of the responsible authorities to them, so that their abatement may be secured, if possible, without a formal complaint to the Board of Health. On the other hand, where the complaint is more serious, an order to the owner, agent, or lessee of the premises complained of will be issued at once by the department. After a lapse of not more than five days, 1 a copy of this order will then be referred to the proper inspector for reinspection. Finally, if, upon its return, it is found that the order has been complied with which happens in a very large proportion of the cases it will be stamped with the date of its final receipt at the office, and filed away with the

1 A longer delay than this, unless authorized by the chief sanitary inspector, must be reported to the president of the board. Discretion in permitting a tardy com- pliance with the order rests with the board, not with the inspector.