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(38)
High Rents and Overcrowding.
It is common knowledge that during the past year there has
been an enormous increase in Rents in various parts of the
Hamlet. I find that it is more particularly confined to houses
which have changed hands comparatively recently—chiefly to
Jewish owners. It is a common practice in these cases to raise the
rents from 20 to 50 per cent. In some streets large numbers
of families have been displaced and foreigners, mostly Jews take
their place. It is only to be expected that this will result in
overcrowding. We are paying particular attention to the matter
of overcrowding, which is a very difficult one to deal with, as
the right of entry of Sanitary Officers to houses is debarred at
the very time when it would be possible to detect the nuisance.
The right of entry is restricted by statute to be between six
o'clock in the morning and nine o clock in the evening, except
by warrant, and before applying for this, one must shew some
special grounds in each case for the application.
During the past year we have been able to abate overcrowding
in a number of cases ; usually when a notice has been served
by your officers, the nuisance has been abated. One case was
of such a flagrant character that the occupier was taken before
the Magistrate and fined.
In conclusion,I thank the members ofthe Sanitary Committee
and also the Vestry for their support and co-operation during
the past year, and I take this opportunity in testifying to the
able manner in which the Inspectors have carried out their
duties.
I am,
Your obedient servant,
THOMAS TAYLOR,
Medical Officer of Health.