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HOUSING.
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for milk (453 free, 30 half price), 42 for dried milks (41 free, 1 half price), and 7 for dinners (all free).
The total amount of milk supplied was 3,626 quarts (3,384 free), and the cost thereof £99. The dinners
(84) cost £5 5s., and the dried milks £8 13s.
Admissions to Institutions.—Three women were in St. Mary Magdalene's Home at the end of 1922,
and 1 was admitted during 1923. The Council contribution towards the maintenance of the four
women was £11 5s. 0d.
No applications were received last year for grants to assist mothers and/or infants to enter convalescent
or other homes.
Day Nurseries.—The Paddington Nursery was obliged to vacate No. 1 Porchester Houses in
March last. Between January 1st and the date of closure the Nursery received children on 64 days,
1,485 attendances being recorded. The children attending for the first time numbered 15. At the
beginning of November the Nursery was re-opened at No. 13, Hasborough Street, a very much smaller
house. In the last two months of the year 14 new children were admitted, the total attendances being
234 on 39 days.
The Queen's Park Nursery was open on 279 days, the attendances numbering 4,863. Twentyseven
new children were received during the year.
During January to March there were 5 cases of whooping cough among the children attending the
Paddington Day Nursery. Among the children attending the Queen's Park Nursery there were 16
cases of chicken pox, 4 cases of scarlet fever, and 1 of whooping cough. Neither Nursery was closed on
any day on account of infectious disease.
HOUSING.
General.—Work under the Housing Acts and the provisions of the Public Health (London) Act
relating to housing, rather than nuisances as generally understood, can only be described as disheartening,
if not heartbreaking. Condemnation of houses unfit for habitation is impossible owing to the lack
of accommodation for the persons who would be displaced by such condemnation. The hopes of being
able to compel owners to put their houses into proper repair, which were entertained after the passing
of the Housing Act of 1919, have been found to be illusory. The Council have undertaken during the
past three years repairs which owners should have carried out, but, owing to the recent judgments
given in the Higher Courts it is impossible to advise the Council to undertake further work. It is very
doubtful whether the provisions of Section 10 of the Housing Act of last year will straighten out the
legal tangle attaching to work under Section 28 of the Act of 1919. It has to be noted that there is no
provision for legal proceedings to enforce compliance with Notices under the latter Section. If the
work called for be not done, the Council have, practically, no alternative but to do the work themselves.
Conversions.—Plans under Section 202 of the Metropolis Management Act, 1855, relating to the
conversion of 46 houses (into 145 "flats") were received during the year, the same number as in 1922.
Unless the conversion involves alterations to the drainage and/or sanitary fittings, the Department
receives no intimation of such conversion. The jurisdiction of the District Surveyor appears to be very
limited. It is, therefore, very probable that the 46 houses mentioned represent only a fraction of the
total number of houses, originally built to be occupied by one family, which were " converted "
during the year for occupation by two or more families.
The possibilities of profit attaching to conversions are illustrated by an instance which has come
to the knowledge of the Department. The house, containing five floors and a basement, is rated
at £138 per annum. The two top floors have been cut off from the rest of the house and let to the
occupier of the next house, communication having been made through the party wall with the
sanction of the County Council. The basement, ground, first and second floors are let as five "flats,"
two being in the basement. The gross rentals obtained by the various sub-lettings amount to £592
per annum.
In June last an application was made to the County Court under Section 27 of the Housing Act,
1919, for release from restrictive covenants prohibiting the conversion of No. 6, Porchester Gate. The
Court made the necessary Order with a condition that the plans for the conversoin were to be approved
by the Local Authority, i.e., the Borough Council. That was the second successful case under that
Section in the Borough.
The two converted houses owned by the Council have been fully occupied during the year, one
of them, that in Warrington Crescent, involving no charge on the rates.
Compulsory Repairs.—Two notices only were served during the year under Section 28 of the
Act of 1919. At one house the required works were completed before the end of the year. As regards
the other house, the Housing Committee had not decided what further steps should be taken at the
close of the year.
The Council executed repairs at one house, called for by notice served in 1922, and the owner has
entered into an agreement to repay the cost of such repairs by instalments spread over six years.