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106
the Public Health Committee during the year. In a
few cases, where there has been apathetic acceptance of
bad housing conditions in spite of several grown-up
children earning wages, pressure has led to other and
better accommodation being obtained. In the majority
of cases, however, the poverty of the family being the
real cause of their insufficient accommodation it has been
impossible to remedy the overcrowding.
An examination of the reports on these cases provides
an incidental but important sidelight upon the
need for a more general knowledge and practice of birth
control. One or two rooms, originally barely sufficient
for man and wife and perhaps one child, are overcrowded
worse and worse as other children are brought
into the family. At the same time, a vicious circle of
cause and effect results from the promiscuity and deterioration
inseparable from overcrowding. Prudential
considerations and the facilities for practising them are
naturally at a minimum in such circumstances.
INSANITARY AREAS.
Slum Clearance and Improvement Schemes.
Under this heading, there is little to record. The
Brady Street area (originally represented to the London
County Council by the then Borough Medical Officer
of Health, in 1904 and re-represented in 1912), is still
awaiting completion. The Teale Street area which the
London County Council decided to deal with in 1928 is
still awaiting the actual execution of the work and the
same applies to the Digby Street area which was represented
to the Borough Council in 1929, after having
formed part of the Green Street area referred to the
London County Council in 1920.
OTHER HOUSING SCHEMES.
On the other hand, the Borough Council having
obtained a suitable site off the Hackney Road in 1931