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Housing.
Water Supply:—In consequence of a communication on this subject from the County
Council, forwarding particulars of the case heard in Woolwich, Dec. 1904, special enquiries
were made as to the provision of water-taps in Cirencester, Clarendon and Woodchester
Streets, all the houses in those streets having 4 storeys (including the basement) and with
one or two exceptions only being occupied by two or more families. In each street two lots
of 10 houses were examined—60 in all. The number of families in the houses varied from 2
to 7, and the occupants from 11 to 31. In 17 houses only was there any provision of
water-tap above the basement. In a few cases the supply was in the sub-basement, a part
of the house which has been uninhabited for some years. There were no real difficulties in
providing additional taps, but as the Magistrate decided that the provisions of Sec. 48 of the
Public Health (London) Act, 1801, did not confer a power to require a sufficient number of
taps in a house but only a sufficient supply of water in the mains, no further steps were
taken. Additional taps were, however, fixed at nearly half the houses before that decision
was given.
Common Lodging Houses:—These houses are registered annually under the London
County Council (General Powers) Act, 1902. That Council exercises all the necessary
supervision—the only matters coming under the jurisdiction of the Borough being the
reconstruction of drains, &c.
There are 8 houses in the Borough, 0 accommodating 195 men; 1, 31 women; and
1, 19 married couples. No case of sickness was reported from any of the houses, but eight
deaths occurred among the inmates. Seven of the deceased were males and one a female
their ages ranging from 4 months to 75 years. The causes of death during the five years are
indicated below:—
1901. 1902. 1903. 1904. 1905.
Tubercular diseases 3 3, 6 6 1
Cancer, Malignant diseases — 1 3 — 1
Respiratory diseases 4 1 3 — —
Other causes 4 9 1 1 6
Housing of the Working Classes Acts:—There is nothing to report under this head.
Inhabited House Duty: Revenue Act, 1903.—Applications for certificates to secure
reduction or remission of the duty were received with reference to 137 blocks of flats,
comprising 1,185 separate flats. These applications involved a very great amount of work
in the shape of surveying and supervision of work. All the flats were in one Ward (Maida
Vale) and it was found necessary to tell off an Inspector for some months to do practically
nothing else. Certificates were issued with respect to 1,049 of the flats, the granting of
certificates to the remainder being suspended until the works necessary have been completed.
In the course of the inspection a number of bedrooms were found to have no open
fireplaces, warming being provided for by gas stoves. The flue-pipes from the stoves are
connected to one vertical shaft of small dimensions, the chimney being thus common to all
the floors. The top of the flue has a small iron grating—not a chimney pot. There is no
provision for the ventilation of the rooms except the doors and windows. When a stove is
lighted in one of the lower rooms, the fumes escape into the upper—usually the room on the
top floor—and complaints of the nuisance have been received. The issue of the certificate
has been suspeneded until satisfactory steps have been taken to provide for the escape of the
fumes, and the attention of the County Council (Architect's Department) has been directed
to the case. The present Building Acts do not provide the necessary powers to prohibit this
defective construction.