London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
St Pancras 1959
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for St. Pancras, Metropolitan Borough]
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Bathrooms and W.C. apartments
The opportunity was taken during the survey to ascertain the number of houses
without fixed baths and/or internal W.C. apartments. It was found that:-
4,057 houses or flats are without internal W.C's. (17 per cent.)
9,470 ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, a bathroom (39.7 per cent.)
Table VIII
Cost of the Survey
As already mentioned in the opening paragraphs of this report, the estimated
cost of the necessary assistance to carry out the survey was £3,000, being made
up of £1,000 estimate for Wards 2, 3 and 5 and £2,000 estimate for Wards 1, 4,
6, 7 and 8.
The cost of the work, subject to some final adjustments, was as follows:-
| Wards 2,3,5 | Wards 1,4,6,7,8 | Totals | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | s. | d | £ | s. | d | £ | s. | d | ||
| Outside survey | 267 | 8. | 0 | 427. | 4. | 3 | 694. | 12. | 3 | |
| Clerical work - | ||||||||||
| Inspectors | 551 | 13. | 8 | 784. | 8. | 3 | 1,336. | 1. | 11 | |
| Clerks | 105 | 13. | 5 | 190. | 7. | 5 | 296. | 0. | 10 | |
| Post Clerk | 10 | 8. | 1 | 15. | 6. | 11 | 25. | 15. | 0 | |
| Extra clerical assistance | 63 | 16. | 3 | 155. | 15. | 0 | 219. | 11. | 3 | |
| Totals | 998 | 19, | 5 | 1,573. | 1. | 10 | 2,572. | 1. | 3 | |
| £ | s. | d | ||||||||
| Estimated cost | 3,000 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| Actual cost as above | 2,572 | 1 | 3 | |||||||
| Balance | £ 427. | 18 | 9 | |||||||
The 1935/37 survey of the Borough cost £2,480 of which sum approximately
half was borne by the London County Council. At that time the temporary enumerators
were paid £3,10s. per week, the temporary clerks £3 per week and a comptometer
operator £4 per week.
The 1935/37 survey involved the measuring of rooms, whereas, with the 1958/59
survey, only those rooms not previously recorded had to be measured. Irrespective
of this, the cost of the present survey compares favourable with the cost of the
1935/37 survey, and I consider that the survey has been justified. It indicates
the trend of overcrowding in occupied house property in the borough and shows
some of the causes.
All house property owners in the Borough have now been informed of the
"permitted numbers" of persons relevant to each of the lettings they control,
and some overcrowding has been abated because of the survey
Statistical summaries and other documents are attached to this Report as
follows:-
Appendix 'A' Statistical summary comparing the 1935/37 survey with the 1958/59
survey.
,, 'B' Table indicating the degree of overcrowding in each Ward.
,, 'C' Statistical summary indicating the average number of persons per
room and per letting etc.
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