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35
BYE-LAWS AS TO HOUSES LET IN LODGINGS.
My anticipations with regard to the number of houses which
would be registered and under inspection at the end of 1897 under
the above bye-laws have not been realised. Several sudden and
exceptional demands were made during the year upon the sanitary
staff, and this work in consequence suffered ; so that without some
special increase in the staff of inspectors any substantial progress in
the application of these bye-laws could not be expected. In
consequence of complaints as to the insanitary condition of certain
localities in Hackney, the Public Health Committee, after enquiry,
resolved to ask the Vestry to appoint two more inspectors, to give
their whole time to house-to-house inspections. I at the same time
pointed out to the Committee the necessity for some help in the
registration of houses let in lodgings. The Committee accordingly
reported to the Vestry in the following terms :—
ADDITIONAL SANITARY INSPECTORS.
Your Committee have to report that the question of a more systematic
house-to-house inspection in the Parish, especially in the Hackney Wick
and Homerton Districts, has had their serious consideration, with a view of
securing a much more frequent visitation of such houses.
Your Oommittee have interrogated the Inspectors of the Hackney Wick
and Homerton Districts, and they are satisfied that assistance is urgently
needed if the inspection of houses and any real progress is to be made in the
carrying out of the necessary sanitary works in those Districts.
There are about 2,000 houses in the Hackney Wick District, and about
2,500 in the Homerton District. Quite 1,000 of these are in a very bad
condition, each house being occupied by three or four families, and to keep
them in anything like a sanitary state they require to be thoroughly inspected
at least once in every six months. Moreover, the Medical Officer of Health
strongly recommends that these houses should be inspected and registered
as houses let in lodgings, and the bye-laws properly carried out, which under
existing conditions cannot be done.
Your Committee went very fully into the question of the time occupied
by the Inspectors of the Districts in question in carrying out the duties, and
they find that it is quite impossible for them to make the number of houseto-house
inspections which it is essential should be made.