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81
The area of the Brady Street site is seven acres and
one third, the density of the population is 417 persons
per acre, the average mortality for the three years 1909
to 1911 was twenty-five per thousand living against
seventeen for the whole Borough, whilst the rate for the
whole of London was only fourteen. These facts show
conclusively that the area is congested and unhealthy
beyond any reasonable standard. There are no fewer
than seven streets or passages that are actual blind-alleys
or no-thoroughfares. There are five streets the width of
which is less than fourteen feet; some of these are mere
passages varying in width from three to seven feet (as
is Neath Place) to 13 feet 8 inches (as is Colling Street).
Many of the rooms in the houses are so small as to be
incapable of occupation by more than one person without
causing illegal overcrowding, and numbers of these
rooms are so low that a tall man cannot stand upright
in them. Back yards are very small and in many instances
absent. The history of the district is instructive.
The sewering of the area was under consideration in
1854, and the then Surveyor reported " That having
regard to the small and fourth-class character of the
property, and its aged and worn-out condition generally,
it would only be necessary to make arrangements for
its temporary drainage, as the premises would soon
come down."
Prior to the passing of any of the existing Housing
Acts, I certified (in conjunction with Mr. Barratt, the
then Surveyor) a number of these houses for dealing
with under Torrens' Act, and many of them were closed
and repaired.