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151
THE STRAND DISTRICT, LONDON.
produce disease, but it cannot be denied that the general
arrangement of the streets and courts, with the want of
air and light, accentuates the tendency to ill-health,
which exposure, deficient food and intemperance has
initiated. It was hoped that the scheme of the County
Council to make a new street from the Strand to
Holborn would have cleared this area, but as that has
fallen through and the Council appear to shirk dealing
with other metropolitan schemes under Part I. of the
"Housing of the Working Classes Act," it remains for
your Board to deal with the conditions as best it can
under the powers it possesses by closing all houses
unfit for habitation, &c. But so long as the present
defective Building Acts are in force your Board has no
power to prevent back-to-back houses being rebuilt,
except they have been previously condemned under
Part II. of the "Housing of the Working Classes Act,"
an anomaly which should be rectified at an early date.
Sanitary Work.
During the year certain alterations have been made,
the district has been divided into two sub-divisions,
each of which has been allotted to an Inspector, who
is responsible for all the sanitary work therein. This
arrangement has worked satisfactorily. In addition, the
staff has been strengthened by the appointment of an
Inspector to carry out the duties imposed by the "Factory
and Workshops Act" and by the bye-laws relating to
houses let in lodgings. The duties of each Inspector as
settled by your Board will be found at page 32 of this
volume. I have to thank each of them for the way in
which they have co-operated with me in carrying out