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186
This case is of considerable interest. It was dismissed.
The facts were as follows :—
On June 4th, at Clerkenwell Police Court, owner
of 13, Pine Street, was summoned by us for allowing a
workshop at the rear of 13, Pine Street to he in such a
dilapidated, insanitary condition as to be a nuisance, and
dangerous to health. This summons was dismissed.
[The judgment of the learned Magistrate is so exceptional
that it is desirable to state the facts of the case, which are
as follows : The building consists of two workshops, one
above the other, each measuring about 31 ft. by 16 ft.
The top workshop is immediately under the roof, which
was in a condition of such extreme disrepair, that the
workshop was useless owing to the rain coming in in many
places. Thus the floor was soaked and rotten, and the rain
passed through the floor into the workshop beneath. The
bottom workshop was on this account damp throughout,
and was, in addition, in a state of uncleanliness. The
workshop was used for "fancy-box making," and three
men were employed there. The occupier had occupied the
workshop for a number of years, and had made various
complaints as to its condition. It appears, however, that
the owner had taken no action, except, so .I am informed,
that she had the workshop whitewashed some four years
ago. The premises came into her hands about eight years
ago. The rent charged by her was then 58. per week, at
which figure it has remained ever since. Year by year
the premises have got into a worse condition of repair.
The occupier, to protect himself in some measure, placed a
tarpaulin (20 ft. by 5 ft. in size) under the roof in the top
unused workshop, and from the tarpaulin he constructed a
wooden gutter (24 ft. in length) to carry the water through
the window into the yard. He also provided three vessels
in the bottom workshop to collect the water which came
through the floor of the top workshop.