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26
Report on
INSANITARY AREAS
and the
HOUSING OF THE WORKING CLASSES.
(Adopted by the Vestry, January 18th, igoo).
When a Sanitary Authority decides to take action under
the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890, there are
practically two ways of doing so, for the Medical Officer of
Health may condemn (or, in the words of the Act, represent)
on the ground of danger to health, (I) a large sized area;
or (2) an individual house, or collection of houses (forming
a smaller area). The former course is the one that is at
present finding undue (in my opinion) favour with the London
County Council, and with several Metropolitan Sanitary
Authorities, with the result that large numbers of persons
are being displaced on account of old premises (dilapidated
and insanitary) being pulled down, and in course of time
re-built on improved lines, but at a very considerable cost
(compensation and otherwise) to the general body of ratepayers
of the County of London. Why does not Lambeth
now also put forth claims, and so secure a grant or grants
out of the general county fund ? Are there not in Lambeth
insanitary areas that might, with advantage to the general
public health of London as a whole, or of Lambeth in
particular, be scheduled and dealt with in the same way as
are areas (say) in the neighbouring Parish of St. Georgethe-Martyr?
Are there not some black spots in the so-called
inner (and congested) districts of the Parish of Lambeth
that might, with advantage, be blotted out? Such are the
types of questions which are heard, and I, as Medical Officer,