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this Act, and in case of doubt as to whether, in any particular case, the
purposes are so similar, the confirming authority may decide such
doubt, and such decision shall be conclusive.0
Section 25.—(1) A local authority may, in manner in this section mentioned,
borrow such money as is required for the purposes of this part of this
Act on the security of the local rate.
(2) For the purpose of such borrowing, the London County Council may,
with the assent of the Treasury, create consolidated stock under the
Metropolitan Board of Works Loans Acts, 1869 to 1871, but all
moneys required for the payment of the dividends on and the redemption
of the consolidated stock created for the purposes of this part of
this Act shall be charged to the special county account to which the
expenditure for the purposes of this part of the Act is chargeable.
So much for Part I. affecting areas. Part II. represents the old
Torrens' Act, and deals in the main with unhealthy dwellings.
Under this part of the Act the Metropolitan Local Authorities have
important powers and duties in relation to the closing and
demolition of dwelling houses unfit for human habitation, the
pulling down and acquisition of the sites of. obstructive buildings,
and the making and carrying out of schemes for the improvement
of areas which are too small to be dealt with under Part I. of the
Act. Section 32 may be quoted :—
closing order and demolition.
Section 32.—(1) It shall be the duty of every local authority to cause to be
made from time to time inspection of their district, with a view to
ascertain whether any dwelling-house therein is in a state so dangerous
or injurious to health as to be unfit for human habitation, and if, 011 the
representation of the Medical Officer, or of any officer of such authority,
or information given, any dwelling-house appears to them to be in such
state, to forthwith take proceedings against the owner or occupier for
closing the dwelling-house under the enactments set out in the Third
Schedule to this Act.
(2) Any such proceedings may be laken for the express purpose of causing
the dwelling-house to be closed whether the same be occupied or not ;
and upon such proceedings the Court of Summary Jurisdiction may
impose a penalty not exceeding twenty pounds, and make a closing
order, and the forms for the purposes of this section may be those in
the Fourth Schedule to this Act, or to the like effect, and the enactments
respecting an appeal from a closing order shall apply to the imposition
of such penalty as well as to a closing order.
• The effect of this section seems to be that a general account ought to be kept of
all transactions of the local authority under this part of the Act. "Balances of profit"
will then mean balances to the credit of the local authority upon the whole of such
account. Balances of profit 011 the transactions of any one year are clearly to be set off
against balances of loss on previous years; and in the same way, probably, profits on the
transactions in respect of one area must be set off against losses in respect of another.