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houses on this register was at first small, but the number has
increased steadily, and is now just over 1,000. It is an instruction
of the Committee that these premises are to be visited twice a
year to prevent the recurrence of overcrowding. At the present
moment it is almost impossible for the Inspectors to carry out
this instruction.
" (vii.) HOUSES LET IN LODGINGS—I have been very anxious
during the last two years to increase the number of houses registered
as houses let in lodgings, and have, on many occasions,
spoken to the Inspectors on this subject. I believe that there are
in this Borough between 1,000 and 1,200 houses which should
properly be registered. lam officially informed that the actual
number of registrable houses in the Borough is 1,993. At the
present moment there are on the register 204 houses. The
inspection and registration of a house in this category takes a
considerable amount of time, because it is necessary to measure up
the rooms for the purpose of the bye-laws, and to ascertain particulars
as to the number of inhabitants of the house. In addition,
when a house is once registered it becomes necessary to visit the
premises at least once a year, and I have thought that, in many
cases, such houses should be visited bi-annually. At the present
moment the bye-laws are not in force in their entirety with regard
to controlled houses, but I have been surprised at the proportion
of houses which are decontrolled, and taking those houses which
were registered at the last Council meeting, I find that about
25 per cent. of them are decontrolled. In the case of a decontrolled
house, all the bye-laws are applicable, and in my opinion these
bye-laws, whether enforceable either wholly or in part, give us
very considerable power to assist tenants, and to secure proper
cleanliness and increased amenities in the very poorest class of
property. I understand that pressure is being placed upon the
London County Council to insist upon that body taking action in
this matter in default of the Borough Councils.
"When I submitted my previous report in January, 1932,
recommending the appointment of an additional Sanitary Inspector,
I gave as one of the reasons the fact that it would be
advantageous to have an Inspector available at mid-day, to