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HOUSING. 91
air. The matter is under the consideration of a Committee of the County Council, who have
noted the facts for future use when the amendment of the Building Acts is undertaken.
Tenement Houses.
This is the new designation given to " houses let in lodgings or occupied by members of
more than one family " by the By-laws made by the Council on March 19th, 1912, and confirmed by
the Local Government Board on May 6th, 1912. In the old By-laws such houses were referred
to as " lodging houses," and considerable confusion and no little irritation prevailed among
property owners who thought that their houses were being dealt with as "common lodging
houses."
Registration.—There were no additions to or removals from the Register during the past
year, the number of houses thereon bei ng 1,348.
Supervision.—Apart from the inspections required in connection with the "annual cleansing"
and the occurrencc of infectious illness, 2,977 inspections of registered houses were made during
the year, as compared with 2,856 in 1911 and 2,430 in 1910. A schedule of the matters calling
for attention which were discovered in 1911 and 1912 will be found in Table 51 (page 97). Notices
to the number of 1,892 (2,023 in 1911) were issued during the year, including 869 (361 in 1911)
"written intimations," 78 (71 in 1911) "statutory notices," 663 (1,374 in 1911) By-law notices,
and 287 (196 in 1911) under the London County Council (General Powers) Acts, viz., 109
(184 in 1911) for verminous rooms, 48 (21 in 1911) for the provision of additional water taps and
supplies, and 40 (12 in 1911) requiring the abolition of disused wood and brick dust-bins.
Annual Cleansing.—This work was (and is) required by the By-laws to be carried out "in
the month of April in each year." As the old By-law had proved to be inadequate no cleansing
notices were served under it, it being thought to be advisable to await the coming into operation
of the new series, confirmation of which by the Local Government Board was expected to be
given during that month. As, however, the Board's letter forwarding the confirmed By-laws
was not received until May 11th, no "cleansing notices" were served under the By-laws, and
" intimation notices" were used instead. The result of the procedure—irregular and risky
though it was—was practically as good as in 1911, 1,488 rooms being cleansed, as compared with
1,936 in 1911. To obtain that result 4,184 inspections of 1,348 houses were required. In 1911,
with 1,358 houses on the Register, 3,730 inspections secured the cleansing of 1,936 rooms, while
in 1909, when the By-law had not been disputed, 1,920 rooms were cleansed in 1,254 houses
after 4,933 inspections.
The new By-laws are more comprehensive than the old, as may be seen from the comparison
given below.
Old Series. New Series.
15.—Subject to the provisions of these By-laws, 19.—Subject to the provisions of the By-laws, the
the landlord of a lodging-house shall, in the month of tenant of a tenement house which is not intended for
April in every year, cause every part of the premises the working classes and the landlord of a tenement
to be cleansed. house intended for the working classes shall in the
He shall, at the same time, cause the walls of month of April in every year cause every part of the
every area, the surface of every ceiling and the interior premises to be cleansed.
surface of every wall of every room, staircase, and He shall at the same time cause the surface of
passage in the lodging-house, and of every water-closet every ceiling, and the internal surface of the walls of
belonging to the premises to be thoroughly lime- every room, wash-house, scullery, staircase, and paswashed.
sage in such house, and of every water-closet belonging
Provided that the foregoing requirement with to the premises to be thoroughly lime-washed ;
respect to the lime-washing shall not apply in any case Provided that the foregoing requirements with
where the internal surface of any such ceiling or wall respect to the lime-washing shall not apply in any case
is painted, or where the material of or with which that where the surface of any such ceiling or wall is painted
surface is constructed or covered is such as to render or where the material of or with which such surface is
the lime-washing thereof unsuitable or inexpedient, and constructed or covered is such as to render the limewhere
the said surface is thoroughly cleansed, and the washing thereof unsuitable or inexpedient, and where