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The enumeration of tenants of the Council's dwellings was taken in March, 1921, and showed that
the rooms (excluding lodging houses) available for lettings were actually occupied by 39,846 or an average
of 1.33 persons a room. As in previous years, the enumeration returns were carefully examined in
order to detect overcrowding. The maximum number of persons to be allowed in any tenement in the
dwellings has been fixed by the Housing Committee at two adults a room, children up to the age of five
being for this purpose reckoned as nil, and each child between the ages of five and ten as half an adult.
This year the number of cases not complying with this standard was 216 or 2.08 per cent, of the total
number of tenements, as compared with 2.56 per cent in 1919-20. Of these 216 cases, 79 were carried
over from the previous year. The increased amount of overcrowding is due to the continuance of the
general shortage of accommodation, and the consequent difficulty of obtaining larger tenements. All the
cases, however, although not complying with the Council's regulations, fall short of contravening the
by-laws made under the Public Health Act, 1875. The overcrowding will be remedied as opportunities
occur bv transfers to larger tenements.
Enumeration
of
tenants,
overcrowding.
£68,572 9s. 7d. (21.3 per cent, of the gross rental) was spent in repairs to the pre-war buildings
during the year, as compared with £23,934 4s. 8d. (105 per cent, of the gross rental) in 1913-14, and
£51,195 11s. 8d. (20 per cent.) in 1919-20. The increase is due to increases in wages in the building trades
and the heavy rise in the price of materials, and also to the necessity of overtaking the arrears of painting
and other work suspended during the war. The repairs executed (all by direct labour) include external
painting at 71 blocks of tenements and 1,069 cottages, comb-graining and varnishing the woodwork of
2,294 tenements and 299 cottages, and the cleansing and distempering of 5,551 tenements and cottages.
Repairs.
During 1920-21, twenty-eight small fires occurred. The total cost of re-instatement, amounting
to £64 9s. 1d., was covered by the Council's insurance fund.
Fires.
Vital
statistics.
Well Hall
Estate.
During the year 274 deaths of residents in the dwellings took place, representing a death-rate of
6.60 per 1,000, as compared with a rate of 12.59 per 1,000 for the county of London. The number of
cases of infectious diseases was 331, of which 228 were cases of small-pox, 78 cases of diphtheria, and
14 cases of measles.
In 1915, the Council undertook the administration on behalf of H.M. Government, of the Well
Hall estate, Woolwich. The Commissioners of H.M. Works, etc., have given notice to terminate this
arrangement on 30th September, 1921. For the work involved the Council receives a commission based on
the gross rental. The estate comprises 212 three-room dwellings, 613 four-room dwellings, 358 five-room
dwellings, and 112 six-room dwellings, or 1,295 dwellings in all, with accommodation for 11,100 persons.
In October, 1920, difficulties arose in connection with charging the increases in rent permitted under the
Increase of Rent and Mortgage Interest (Restriction) Act, 1920. In accordance with instructions received
from H.M. Office of Works, notices enforcing the increases permissible under the Act were prepared
and issued to the tenants on this estate. The increases on account of rates became due on 20th September,
1920, and were paid without demur. An increase of 30 per cent, on standard net rent became due on
11th October, 1920, but the majority of the tenants refused to pay it, and representations were made
by the tenants to the Commissioners, protesting against this increase on the ground that the rents
originally fixed were in excess of those charged for similar accommodation in the locality. The Commissioners
did not accept this contention, and, as a result of negotiations, the tenants, through their
Association, accepted the offer of the Commissioners to submit the question of rents to arbitration on
certain conditions, the collection of the 30 per cent, increase being meanwhile left in abeyance. The
decision of the arbitrators had not been issued at the end of 1920.
In July, 1917, the Council undertook, at the request of the Coal Controller, the sale of coal to
tenants in block dwellings. The coal was delivered in bulk to a store provided in the yard, and issued
by the caretaker at fixed times. The selling price was fixed by the Coal Controller, and was calculated
to cover expenses. It was decided to discontinue this arrangement on 31st March, 1921. Up to that
date, 17,357 tons, priced at about £43,045, had been distributed.
Distribution
of coal.