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60
HOUSING
Supervision.— A system has been inaugurated since the last report was written of making
quarterly inspections of such houses on the Register as are known to be badly kept, either by
the occupants or the landlords, or both. By this practice it is hoped to raise the standard in
the worst houses. The method unfortunately means that fewer houses can receive general
supervision by the two Inspectors told off to supervise houses let in lodgings. However it is
hoped that more will be gained than lost.
The total number of inspections during the year, apart from those in connection with
registration (544), and annual cleansing (to be hereafter dealt with) was 2,849, as compared
with 2,825. It has to be remembered that with the increase in the number of houses on the
Register, the annual cleansing takes each year more of the Inspectors' time, and hence the
number of general inspections has not increased to the extent that might have been expected.
In 1906 the general (including registration, the number of visits in connection therewith, not
being separately recorded), numbered 3,756, and in 1905, 3,511. The defects and infringement
of by-laws discovered are set out in Table 38. The notices issued during the year, apart
from cleansing notices, totalled 1,259, viz.—288 written intimations, 108 "statutory notices,"
and 696 by-law notices. The notices for verminous rooms, under Section 20 of the London
County Council (General Powers) Act, 1904, numbered 146 last year, as compared with 239
in 1906, and for the abolition of old dust bins (Section 23 of the same Act), 21.
Annual Cleansing.—This most useful work is carried out under by-law 15, which requires
the landlords to thoroughly cleanse and limewash all ceilings, walls, &c.,of their houses during
the month of April in each year. It is very rare to require the whole of any house to be so
treated, as the by-law allows, but the powers are used to secure that all dirty rooms, closets,
washhouses, and yards, shall be thoroughly cleansed and made wholesome, with, it is believed,
great benefit to the general health and welfare of the inhabitants of the registered houses, and
(indirectly) of the Borough in general.
So much work has to be done now—there were 1,268 houses to be specially inspected last
April—that part of the work was transferred last year to some of the District InspectorsEven
with that increase in Staff, the cleansing was not completed until after the summer
vacation, and, this year, a further change in procedure has been adopted with a view to
shortening the time. The inspections necessitated in dealing with the 1,268 houses numbered
5,250, 2,376 rooms being reported as in need of cleansing. No fewer than 2,282 cleansing
notices were served, excluding 118 for verminous rooms and 418 for sanitary defects. Four
summonses were issued. It is found to be impossible to inspect a house at a single visit,
and hence the number of inspections is very great.
Overcrowding.—No special enquiries were made during the annual cleansing as to overcrowding,
but that defect in last year's arrangements was to some extent remedied by the
quarterly inspections. This year full particulars are being taken of the inhabitants in all
registered houses.
The total number of tenements found overcrowded (including those so found on registration),
was 344, in 256 houses, containing 416 rooms and occupied by 1,538 persons (621 under and
917 over 10 years of age). The overcrowding was abated by re-arrangement of the occupants
in 63 cases (47 on attention being called informally to the offence, 16 after notices had been
served), in 160 by removal of the families (105 after notice, 55 voluntarily), while in the
remaining 121 cases the deficiency in cubic space was so small, that the cases were reserved
for future consideration.