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Classes Act. These have, therefore, been approached from the point
of view of Part II. of the Act, which is applicable to all Sanitary
Districts, and is enforceable by the Local Authority. It provides
inter alia for the closure and demolition of buildings which are
unfit for human habitation. In dealing with such houses the
procedure to be adopted must depend upon a variety of circumstances.
In some cases it is preferable to proceed under the
Housing Act (Part II.), in other cases under the Public Health
(London) Act, which is also, of course, enforceable by the Local
Authority. These two Acts furnish the Borough Council with
considerable powers, of which it should continue to avail itself if
necessary.
Before advising the Council to put these powers into force,
during the past seven years I have made it my duty to see the
owner in cases of insanitary property, and have fully set before him
or his solicitors the various defects of the property. Further, I
have pointed out, where necessary in unmistakable terms, that
unless the owner himself would sufficiently repair or close the
properties in question, it would be necessary for me to proceed
under the Acts above mentioned. It has seemed to me that this
method of first approaching the owner in a personal way before
issuing legal notices against him has considerable advantages to
recommend it, and affords the owner ample opportunity of
discharging his duties to his property and tenants. I have to report
that in the following eight areas in which this course has been
adopted, it has resulted in each case in the owner himself undertaking
the necessary sanitary repairs rather than the Local
Authority. This is, in my judgment, as it should be. Property
has its duties as well as its rights. In the event of non-compliance
or non-acceptance of responsibility for the insanitary conditions
existing, it would, of course, be necessary for me to advise
the Borough Council to proceed with strictness against such
owners.
In this way we have dealt with eight smaller insanitary areas,
displacing upwards of 500 persons, and calling upon owners either to