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57
to the Board in the usual manner some months since,
the Council now learns that " the Board understand that
the County Council are prepared to consider further the
question of dealing with the area referred to." No
intimation has been made to the Council that the County
Council are now willing to consider as to dealing with
the area and the Council would much like to learn upon
what grounds the Local Government Board has arrived
at the understanding referred to.
Since the date of the Inquiry the Borough Council
has treated the subject of the Brady Street area as being
sub judice.
At the date of the Inquiry the County Council were
admittedly unwilling to proceed in the matter by way
of an improvement scheme under Part I. of the Housing
of the Working Classes Act, 1890, in view of the fact
" that further legislation on the subject is practically
certain at no distant date, and that such legislation will
in all probability enable the area and other similar areas
to be dealt with in a more satisfactory manner and at
less cost to the ratepayers than is the case under the
present law " (see Minutes of the London County
Council, July 29th, 1913, at page 472), and that would
appear to be the position now.
The Inquiry was primarily and mainly as to the
correctness of the representation made to the London
County Council by the Medical Officer of Health for
Bethnal Green, and on that point I am to remind the
Board that the London County Council has never
questioned the accuracy of the official representation. In
fact, at the Inquiry, Dr. Butler, on behalf of the London
County Council, submitted statistical information relating