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185
fat. On the instructions of the Public Health and Housing Committee
the vendor was cautioned by a letter from the Medical
Officer of Health.
Closing Orders.
On 16th December, summonses, under the Housing of the
Working Classes Acts, 1891, 1893, were heard at the Thames Police
Court against the owner of Nos. 4, 5, 6, 7, 13, 14, Brewery Yard.
After hearing the evidence the magistrate withheld his decision for
14 days, to enable him to visit the premises.
At the adjourned hearing on 30th December, the magistrate
made a closing order on each of the houses with 25s. costs in
each case, and an allowance of 10s. compensation to the tenants
of four of the houses and 15s. in respect of one of them. One
unoccupied. The whole of the houses were eventually vacated.
These were very old worn-out structures; two were entirely
wooden, two partly wood and partly brickwork and two entirely
brickwork. The exact age does not appear to be known, but
they must have been very old, and were strongly marked by evidence
of decay, and signs of an early dissolution. These were cottages
which were included in a scheme represented to the London
County Council under Part I. of the Act, which the County Council
refused to entertain as a county scheme. Two of the cottages,
Nos. 6 and 7, have been demolished since by the owner on the
requisition of the District Surveyor. This is the first representation
made with respect of the Bow District, and it is regrettable the
County Council should not have passed a resolution that such area
was an unhealthy area, and forthwith proceeded to make a scheme
for the improvement of such area, particularly as these cottages
were very badly designed and fitted, and the accommodation and
general ariangement were such as to be a menace to all within
their immediate neighbourhood. Had a fire occurred within one
of them the whole of them and several others must have been
immediately reduced to ashes, owing to the close contiguity which
amounted to a continuity of one to the other. The area was also