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Temporary Shelter or House Accommodation.
The Public Health (London) Act, 1891 (Section 60,
Sub-Section 4) imposes an obligation upon Sanitary Authorities
to provide accommodation for persons who have been compelled
to leave their dwellings on account of disinfection being carried
on therein.
The sub-section is as follows:—
"The Sanitary Authority shall provide, free of charge,
"temporary shelter or house accommodation with any
"necessary attendants for the members of any family
"in which any dangerous infectious disease has
"appeared, who have been compelled to leave their
"dwellings for the purpose of enabling such dwellings
"to be disinfected by the Sanitary Authority."
The need of such accommodation was much felt during
the outbreak of Small-pox. In many instances the work of
disinfection was carried on under considerable difficulty, and
in the poorer districts much hardship was inflicted on the
inmates of dwellings under disinfection. In one case three
persons had to spend the night in a wash-house.
On the 14th May the Council decided to erect a shelter,
and plans have been approved for a two-storied building on
the piece of ground adjoining the Public Mortuary. The
shelter will provide accommodation for three families in
separate tenements, and the building will also include a
residence for the Mortuary Keeper. The estimated cost is
£996 and application for a loan for this amount has been
made to the Local Government Board.
General Sanitary Work.
Table XXV. gives a summary of the work of the sanitary
inspectors, so far as it can be summarised.