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may well consider what will be the future condition of the district when other London sanitary
authorities have, by the enforcement of regulations, secured control over the condition of tenement
property in their areas, while Bethnal-green alone fails to resist the pressure from without.
Whitechapel—The medical officer of health states that the alteration of the by-laws by which
tenants will be registered if the rent, when unfurnished, does not exceed 7s. 6d. per week, and when
furnished does not exceed 15s. per week, will necessitate many additions to the register, and probably
require the services of an additional inspector. Dr. Loane writes " During the year under consideration
I have become aware, in the hundreds of houses I have myself inspected, of instances where part
of a two or three-roomed tenement has been sub-let to others by the tenant. Only persistent regular
inspection can cope with such a practice.
St. George-in-the-East—There are now 83 houses registered in this district, this number including
" so far as is known all the tenement houses in the district which can be registered by reason
of the rents." The medical officer of health says, " It is satisfactory to be able to report a marked
improvement in their general sanitary condition in comparison with what obtained before registration."
Mile-end Old-town—The medical officer of health states that the houses under supervision are
occupied by several families, and the class of people who inhabit them make it necessary for the
houses to be frequently inspected. Considerable trouble has been experienced during the year with
the landlords, some of whom have raised their rents, thus getting a class of tenant who sub-let the
houses ; other landlords are foreigners who do not understand the obligation they are under as to
periodical cleansing.
Poplar—The Sanitary Committee again considered the report of the medical officer of health
and the letters of the London County Council with reference to the enforcement of the by-laws. It
was decided to require the landlords of houses in certain streets to supply the necessary information
for registration.
St. George-the-Martyr—There were 7,920 inspections of registered houses.
Newington—The number of houses on the register at the end of 1899 was 2. An additional
25 had been added to the list up to the time of the medical officer of health writing his report
(July, 1900).
St. Olave—The number of houses registered is 19. Four summonses were taken out; one was
withdrawn, and for the other three a fine of £6 wa3 inflicted.
Bermondsey— The number of houses on the register is 293.
Rotherhithe—Two additional houses were registered during the year.
Lambeth—The number of houses registered during the year was 34, making a total of 385
houses containing 2,213 rooms on the register.
Battersea—The report of the medical officer of health shows that 49 houses were registered.
Wandsworth (Clapham)—The medical officer of health states that the houses on the register
were regularly inspected, and were, on the whole, found to be in a better condition than in former
years. He writes—" The April cleansing can be insisted on, and overcrowding more easily abated,
but there I think the advantages end. I think more good is accomplished by systematic house-tohouse
inspection, street by street, than by registering a larger number of houses let in lodgings."
It may be pointed out that the greater facility which regulations give for ensuring conditions of
cleanliness and absence of overcrowding, is an important reason for registering houses in which dirt
and overcrowding are especially likely to occur, and that registration is not an alternative to
systematic inspection, but is one of the means by which it is secured.
(Putney and Roehampton)—Certain houses in Floss-street have been put on the register, but
sufficient time had not elapsed to enable an opinion to be formed as to the result.
(Wandsivorth)—The medical officer of health writes—"There are now 22 houses on the register,
an increase of two compared with last year. In one case proceedings had to be taken to have the
statutory cleansing done, and in another proceedings were taken as the owner refused to sign the
necessary papers. In the other houses the cleansing was done at the appointed time. I am able to
report that these by-laws are of great service in these properties which have been put on the register."
Camberwell—Fifty-one houses let in lodgings were inspected. The sanitary committee of the
vestry have been desirous of extending the application of the by-laws which their medical officer of
health regards as a necessity. Dr. Stevens' report contains the following paragraph—
In consequence of representations made to the sewers and sanitary committee by myself regarding
the necessity for more extended registration of houses let in lodgings, it was decided by that body to
appoint a sub-committee to inspect these premises after I had recommended them for registration, and
before any resolution to that effect was submitted by the committee. The vestry, however, passed " the
previous question." The by-laws, therefore, relating to houses let in lodgings are practically only in
force in the district round Hollington-street, although it is my opinion that other parts of the parish
are equally suitable for registration in this way, and it was my intention that the houses on which the
discussion arose should be the starting point of a much wider registration than has heretofore existed.
Greenwich (Deptford)—Eighteen houses were added in 1899 to those on the register. The
medical officer of health reports these houses " have received constant supervision, thereby avoiding
overcrowding and ensuring cleanliness and proper ventilation."
Woolwich—The medical officer of health states that there are 66 houses registered, and
inspections have been systematically made to ensure compliance with the regulations.
Plumslead—At the beginning of the year there were 20 houses on the register. The medical
officer of health recommended the registration of an additional 16, 13 of which were registered by
order of the Sanitary Committee. " Nearly all were on receipt of the notice reduced to occupation by
one family, and others have been taken off the register for the same reason. There remained on the
register at the close of the year 18 houses." Dr. Sidney Davies is of opinion that the by-laws should
be drafted so as to apply to all houses let in lodgings below a certain rental, whether registered or
not, and he adds that there are probably 500 houses in Plumstead which ought to be subject to the
by-laws.