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114
parison of the Sanitary Inspectors' reports with the complaints
of the Social Democratic Party, it will be observed: —
1. That a considerable number of the latter are either
imaginary or greatly exaggerated. I refer to complaints Nos. 2,
3, 4. 8, 10, 11, 14, 17, 21, 22 and 23.
2. Throughout the whole of the complaints there are certain
kinds of dilapidations and defects, constituting a large part
of the total, made specially prominent, such as broken glass,
broken chimney pots, no fences between yards, defective brick
work, broken grates, broken coppers, soiled paint and varnish,
old or broken locks to doors, defective hearthstones. Where
any structure is dangerous to life or limb it is a matter to be
dealt with by the District Surveyor under the London County
Council, but if the matter can be regarded as dangerous or injurious
to health the Borough Council would be the Authority
to see to its abatement. But looking through the above list of
defects, it will be seen that however desirous one may be to
remedy the whole, most of them cannot be regarded as dangerous
or injurious to health, and others are only remotely or doubtfully
related to health.
3. After deducting the complaints under the heads 1 and
2, we find that the Inspectors discovered a number of genuine
defects which are related to health, and which can be dealt with
by the Borough Council, but which are not numerous, and taken
singly are not serious defects. Amongst these are: a Defective
roofs, (b) Ceilings dirty, (c) Walls dirty. (d) Yard paving
defective. (e) Defective eaves gutters and rain water pipes.
(/) Defective flush cisterns, (g) Defective plaster on walls and
ceilings. (h) Defective w.c. pans.
4. It appears hardly necessary to point out the poverty of
certain tenants, which is mentioned amongst the complaints,