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119
Their homes are then visited by the sanitary inspectors and
notices for cleansing are served on the occupiers where the
premises are dirty or verminous. The parents are offered steam
disinfection for the verminous bedding and clothing, and sulphur
fumigation for the rooms.
The number of verminous children notified in 1910 was 259,
the number of homes found clean was 117, the rest were dirty
or verminous. In 35 cases the tenements were disinfected by the
Borough Council.
The Housing and Town Planning Act, 1909, Section 14, enacts
that in any contract made for letting for habitation a house o part
of a house at a rent not exceeding forty pounds in London there
shall be implied a condition that the house is at the commencement
of the holding in all respects reasonably fit for human habitation.
Vermin.infested houses would appear to be covered by this clause,
which is an exceedingly useful one. And in this connection it is
interesting to note that as far back as 1843, in Smith v. Marrable
(Vol. 12, Meeson and Wellsby.s Reports, 1843) the Court held
that the presence of vermin in a furnished house may reasonably
be construed as evidence that the house is unfit for human habitation.
UNDERGROUND ROOMS AND STABLE
DWELLINGS.
In 25 instances underground rooms were found to be separately
occupied in contravention of the provisions of the Public Health
(London) Act, 1891, Section 96.
Notices were served and the illegal occupations were discon
tinued.