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Health Department and it is only by house-to-house
inspection that such cases can be discovered. Further,
because a tenant is prepared to live under insanitary
conditions rather than make a complaint that is no
reason why the Council, as a public health authority,
should allow him to do so. Much of the property in
Fulham has got into a very unsatisfactory condition
owing to the lack of repairs during the War, the ravages
of age and of sub-let tenancies. Certainly, if and when
the new Houses-Let-in-Lodgings by-laws come into
force it will be necessary to appoint additional
inspectors if the by-laws are to be efficiently administered.
Closing Orders.—Seven Closing Orders were made
during the year with respect to Nos. 1 and 3, Jerdan
Place, and 4, 6, 10, 12 and 14, Vanston Place. These
houses constituted a little group facing the old Walham
Green. Those in Vanston Place were rather picturesque
old-fashioned cottages built at the time when the
surrounding land was open country. Year by year the
property had deteriorated; it had been scheduled
eventually by the District Surveyor as a dangerous
structure and the Council, although regretting the
action from many points of view, were reluctantly
compelled to make Closing Orders and to evict the
tenants in order that the District Surveyor might
demolish the property. The greatest difficulty was
found in finding accommodation for the evicted tenants.
There were no fewer than 40 persons inhabiting these
seven houses; 17 of them were eventually able to
obtain alternative accommodation, but as a last resort
the Council were compelled to purchase two empty
houses in the Borough in order to house the remaining
live families consisting of 23 persons. This clearance
of a very bad block of insanitary property was most
necessary, and although it aroused at the time a
considerable amount of trouble and criticism on
account of the eviction of the tenants, I cannot but
feel that the Council were justified in their action
and that the tenants are now much better off under
their new conditions.