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powers under Section 94 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, and enforcing their by-laws for
houses let in lodgings. It was to no purpose that the Council were informed that these powers had
been exercised, and found ineffectual, as a remedy for the evils so vividly portrayed by the Special
Committee of 1896, appointed, as before said, at the instance of the Chairman of the Vestry (now
the Lord Bishop of Peterborough), whose interest in the unhappy district—stigmatized in a London
daily paper, in January 1893, as a " West-End Avernus"—had been deeply stirred by the harrowing
statistics set out in my reports.
The County Council having so far failed us, the Vestry subsequently requested them to
promote legislation to give the sanitary authorities power to adopt Part III., and to this they
consented. Intervention on their part, however, became unneccessary, for the London Government
Act, 1899, which brought the Borough Councils into existence, in November 1900, conferred on
these authorities the desired power, and gave them the right, subject to certain conditions, to
exercise the powers of the County Council, under the then existing Acts, in their respective
Boroughs; powers which were subsequently extended by the Housing of the Working Classes Acts,
1900 and 1903.
Action of the Borough Council.—The Council lost no time in taking action on this housing
question, having, at their meeting on December 19th, 1900, unanimously passed a resolution to the
effect—
" That a full enquiry and investigation be made into the nature and extent of overcrowding
in the Borough, and that a report thereon be presented to the Council, at the earliest
possible date, with a view to the speedy adoption of remedial measures, if necessary."
The inquiry was set on foot forthwith, and in July 1901, I presented a report,* setting out
the results of inspection of upwards of 900 houses in 25 streets; comprising detailed accounts of
the mode of occupation, the number of families, and of persons—adults and children—rents of
tenements, etc. The Public Health Committee approved the report and submitted it to the Council,
in October, with the result that, on the 30th day of that month, the Council, by an unanimous vote,
adopted Part III. of the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890.
A "Housing Sub-Committee" appointed shortly afterwards, held many meetings, devoted
much and anxious consideration to the subject, with, for a long time, little or no apparent progress
towards the desired end. But, meanwhile, the first Mayor of Kensington, Sir H. S. King, K.C.I.E.,
M.P., was patiently and secretly devoting himself to the acquisition of the freehold and leasehold
interests in a considerable number of houses, and maturing the scheme which, having received
the unanimous approval of the Public Health Committee, was adopted by the Council on
16th February, 1904.
The Council thus became the landlords of nearly all the houses in Kenley Street, in the
Notting Dale Special Area, and of some others in the locality, upon terms which enabled them
to provide lodging-houses for a considerable body of the working classes, at reasonable and reduced
rents, and with but a small annual charge upon the rates.
It is hoped that the Council may see their way gradually to extend this work, on the same
lines, until a great body of the working classes, and of the poorer inhabitants of the Royal Borough
generally, shall have been provided with healthy and home-like homes on terms which will involve
no. loss of self-respect to the tenants, and to the ratepayers no serious burden.
It may be allowable to express satisfaction that the scheme adopted by the Council follows on
the lines of the recommendations made in 1897, and that my anticipation that schemes of this
nature could be carried to a successful issue upon a commercial basis, appears likely to be realised.
Subjoined are the " Regulations as to Tenancy" of the Council's houses in Kenley Street.
1. The weekly rent shall-become due on the Saturday in each week and shall be paid by
the tenant, on the following Monday, to the authorised collector of the Council, who will call
on that day, and will enter in the rent book the amount paid.
2. The tenant shall not assign his agreement, underlet, or take in lodgers, or use his
tenement as a shop or workshop, except with the written consent of the Council, and shall not,
without such consent, offer any goods or materials for sale or hire therein, or affix thereto any
advertisement or notice.
* The report is printed as an appendix to my Annual Report for 1901, page 125.