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125
Control of Common Lodging-houses.—A communication
was received in April, 1897, from the Vestry of St.
Margaret and St. John, Westminster, expressing the opinion
that the want of effective control over common lodging-houses
was a serious defect in the existing law, and urging the desirability
of representations being made to the Home Secretary
with a view to the introduction of a Bill consolidating and
transferring to the Local Authorities the administration of the
law relating to common lodging-houses, giving such authorities
power to licence annually, with the consequent right to withhold
any license in the event of mismanagement or other sufficient
reason. These views were endorsed by your Vestry, and a communication
to this effect was made to the Home Secretary and
to the Vestry of St. Margaret and St. John, and to the other
Sanitary Authorities of the Metropolis. The Home Secretary,
in due course, stated that he had referred the communication
to the Local Government Board, as he was of opinion that the
question was one which should be dealt with by the Board.
Nothing further appears to have been done in the matter.