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160
It remains to be seen what action the Kensington Council
will take in regard to the district, under the powers conferred
by the Act which brings it into existence next November, and
by Part III, of the Housing of the Working Classes Act.
Control of Common Lodging-Houses.—A communication
was received, in April, 1897, from the Vestry of St.
Margaret and St. John, Westminster, expressing the opinion
that the want of effective control over common lodging-houses
was a serious defect in the existing law, and urging the desirability
of representations being made to the Home Secretary
with a view to the introduction of a Bill to consolidate, and
transfer to the local authorities, the administration of the law relating
to common lodging-houses, and to give such authorities
power to license annually, with the consequent right to withhold
any license in the event of mismanagement or other
sufficient reason. These views were endorsed by your Vestry,
and a communication to this effect was made to the Home
Secretary, and to the Vestry of St. Margaret and St. John,
and to the other sanitary authorities of the metropolis. The
Home Secretary, in reply, stated that he had referred the
communication to the Local Government Board, as he was of
opinion that the question was one which should be dealt with
by that Board. Nothing further was done in the matter, nor is
the matter dealt with in the Local Government Act, 1899,
which leaves the common lodging-houses under the jurisdiction
of the County Council.