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75
In November, 1910, the Council considered these Regulations and
decided to appoint an additional Sanitary Inspector partly to carry out
the work in connection with the Regulations, and partly to supervise
houses let in lodgings. Mr. Townsend, of Bermondsey, was appointed,
his appointment was confirmed in April, 1911, and he entered upon his
duties on May 8th.
One house, No. 83, Palmerston Road, was represented by the
Medical Officer of Health under Section 17 of the Act as unfit for
habitation, and on January 12th the Council made a closing order on
the house. The owner, Mr. William Arlidge, appealed to the Local
Government Board and the Board held a public Local Inquiry on
May 24th, and, on July 29th, made an order confirming the Council's
closing order, and charging the appellant with the costs incurred by the
Board, which amounted to £5 l1s. l1d.
On July 10th, the owner asked the Council to determine the closing
order, and the Council, at their meeting on July 27th, authorised the
Medical Officer of Health and the Senior Sanitary Inspector to make an
inspection of the house in order to ascertain whether it had been made
fit for habitation. At this inspection it was found that nothing had
been done to the house since the Inspector of the Local Government
Board had made his inspection at the time of the public local inquiry
on May 24th. The Council, therefore, decided on October 5th to refuse
to determine the closing order, and against this decision Mr. Arlidge
appealed to the Local Government Board.
All this time, however, notwithstanding the closing order, the house
was occupied by a caretaker and his family, including several children
and the Council decided to apply for an ejectment order. The application
was made to Mr. Plowden at the Marylebone Police Court on
November 17th, when it was proved that the Council had made a closing
order, that the order had been duly confirmed by the Local Government
Board, that notice of the order had been served on the caretaker on
October 9th, and that he was still occupying the house.
Mr. Sydney Turner, on behalf of the Council, submitted that as
the Local Government Board had confirmed the closing order, the order
became operative on the date of confirmation, viz.: July 29th. Mr.
Curtis Bennett, on behalf of Mr Arlidge, contended that the order had