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I think it would be of great advantage if the bye-laws were
re-drafted in the way I have indicated.
100. Overcrowding.—I visited 17 houses in respect to overcrowding
and indecency, and overcrowding was abated, after
visits from the Inspector in 72 cases. In the three previous
years, 21, 38, and 90 cases of overcrowding, respectively, were
found.
Out of the 3518 houses inspected, house to house, there were
227 in which there were two or more persons to a room;
thus 6 per cent. of these houses may be said to be overcrowded
in this sense. But no action was taken in cases in
which each adult inmate had 300 cubic feet of space in
rooms used for sleeping only, and 400 cubic feet in rooms
used for living and sleeping. With regard to the difficulty in
dealing with cases of overcrowding, in the well-known absence
of sufficient house accommodation, I have only to refer to
previous reports.
The absence of sufficient houses at reasonable rents, militates
more than anything else against improvement in the sanitary
condition of houses. Applicants for every vacant house being
so numerous the landlord is the master of the situation, and
the bad landlord has no inducement but the pressure of the
sanitary authority to maintain his property in good condition.
101. Removal of infectious cases from the Arsenal Surgery
to their own homes.—The Principal Medical Officer of the
Arsenal raised a question as to the responsibility of payment
for removal of infectious cases to their homes after having been
diagnosed in the Arsenal Surgery. The Asylums Board charge
5/- for removal in their ambulances, and Major Dodd represented
that many employees were unable to meet this payment,