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113
SANITARY ADMINISTRATION.
Public Mortuary.
The Public Mortuary provided by the Council is situated in Goldsmith Street.
During the year 37 bodies were deposited. There were 29 post mortem
examinations made, and 28 inquests held. The inquests are held in the Court
Room at the Town Hall. On 8 occasions bodies awaiting burial were
removed to the mortuary on account of inadequate accommodation in the homes;
28 bodies were brought in by order of the Coroner, and 1 by the Police.
Inquests.
During the year 56 inquests were held on the bodies of Holborn parishioners.
Many of these died outside the Borough and the inquests were held in the
district where death took place, the deaths being subsequently transferred to
Holborn. The causes of death certified as a result of such inquests were:—Natural
causes, 31; Accidents, 13; Suicide, 8; Misadventure, 4.
Revenue Acts.
No application was received under these Acts.
Dirty Tenants.
From time to time complaints are received from owners respecting the
difficulties experienced by them in keeping their property up to the standard
required by local authorities owing to the dirty and destructive habits of tenants.
It is repeatedly alleged that through carelessness or wilful damage by tenants
repairs and cleansing become necessary with unreasonable frequency and that it
is impossible to maintain even the minimum requirements of the local authorities
without financial loss.
These statements have sometimes been found to be well-founded, particularly
in the poorer class tenement lodging houses where no responsible keeper or landlord
is resident.
In order to prevent or minimise difficulties of the owner we endeavour, as
much as possible, to keep in view the considerable powers which the Council has of
holding the tenant responsible for defects caused by his neglect or default.
During the year the Inspectors have reported a number of cases where dirty
conditions of tenements were clearly the fault of the tenants. In these cases
the necessary action has been taken to secure the abatement of the nuisance by
the tenants.
A difficult problem is caused by a number of old people chiefly women living
alone usually in a single room. Many of these old people have no one to look
after them; gradually becoming feebler they are eventually unable to look after
themselves or their homes properly and yet they are most unwilling to enter the
Poor Law Institutions. At present persuasion is used, but the condition often
persists for a considerable time; it is difficult to suggest any solution of the
problem other than the granting of compulsory powers of removal to a suitable
institution.
H