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169
THE PAVING OF YARDS.
During the year, a good many yards were paved more or
less satisfactorily—or unsatisfactorily; for it is not the rule to
pave the whole of the small yards at the rear of houses
inhabited by the poor, and too commonly the paving is far
from what it should be in material and workmanship. It
would be well if work of this sort could be carried out systematically
throughout the parish; but, individual cases only
can be dealt with as they arise out of casual or special inspections,
or in the case of house-to-house inspections, of which
too few are made. The special committee on "Notting-dale,"
in their report (June 18th, 1896), referring to the state of the
yards in the special area, stated they were "saturated with
human ordure and filth of every description." The committee
were of opinion "that these yards should be asphalted or
paved," and the first of their recommendations, all of which
were approved by your Vestry, was to the following effect:—
"That it be referred to the works and sanitary committee to have notice
served upon the owners or occupiers of the houses in the several
streets . . . . requiring them to asphalte, or pave with impervious
material, the yards in the rear of such houses which are not in proper
condition."
Effect has, in a measure, been given to this recommendation.
The paving of yards is one of the matters dealt with
in your Vestry's bye-laws, the tenth of the series requiring,
in respect of "any yard or open space, where it is necessary
for the prevention or remedy of insanitary conditions that all
or part of such yard or open space shall be paved," that it
be paved forthwith by the owner of the dwelling-house
with which such yard or open space is connected. It will be
observed that the paving of yards is prescribed "for the prevention
or remedy of insanitary conditions," a fact which is
often lost sight of. That paving is "necessary" for this