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In all there were 1,316 inspections of outworkers' premises,
compared with 132 in 1912, and of these 571 related to addresses
that had not been previously registered.
The careful watch over the opening of new workshops as well
as the closing up of old is still maintained by the Inspectors.
There is a diminution of 93 from the number of workshops of
last year, and of 200 compared with that of 1911.
A letter was received from the London County Council regarding
water supply to tenement houses, in answer to which it was
pointed out that the whole enactment under the General Powers
Act, which enforces the provision of a water supply on the storey
or one of the storeys of a tenement house in which the lodgers'
rooms are situated, is governed by the proviso at the end of the
section. This sets out that " this section shall not apply to any
tenement house in respect of which it can be shown that any
such provision for the supply of water as aforesaid is not
reasonably necessary."
Our experience of this matter in the police court has not been
altogether happy. We summoned the owner of a one-storey house
which was let to two families. The only water supply was from a
tap in the downstairs scullery, access to which was only possible by
going out into the yard. This appeared to be as strong a case as
we could find in Camberwell and one in which the Council
thought it reasonably necessary, but, as the case was decided against
us with costs, I have thought it a waste of time to report further
cases to the Committee, although I know of several houses where
an additional water supply would be a distinct help to cleanliness ;
always supposing, of course, that the people are ready to avail themselves
of the extra facility. This extra water supply, however, has
been far more generally provided during the last two or three years.
Under the Housing and Town Planning Act there were 66
inspections made of tenements in Chiswell Street, Brisbane Street,
and Hampton's Avenue The Committee decided to take no
action under this Act, but they decided to register those which
could be dealt with as houses let in lodgings and to deal with the
others under the Public Health (London) Act.
Number of houses inspected under Section 17, 66.
Number of houses in respect of which closing orders were
made, nil.
Number of houses where defects (such as would be remedied
under the Public Health Act) were remedied, 44.
Number of houses where no nuisance was found to exist, 16.
The block of back-to-back houses in Levant Street remain in
the same condition as they were at the date of my last report, except
that the general condition as regards cleanliness has certainly
improved.
The return of the inspections that are made by your officers
Shows a diminution in the number of complaints and in the inspections
following on such complaints. The house-to-house inspections
(excluding those made under the Housing and Town Planning Act)