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6
POPULATION.
The whole of the borough from a variety of causes, such as, the
migration of the better-to-do class to the suburbs, the closing of important
works and business premises, together with a general shrinkage of incomes
all round, is passing through a period of active transition. Facilities are
being given to all classes, but the very lowest, to live more in the country,
hence the usual method of house letting has changed in every part of the
district. It is no longer possible, even with the best class of house, to
find a tenant who can afford to occupy it entirely without any sub-letting.
Even in some of our best residential squares, the houses of which from
time immemorial have been occupied by distinguished persons, it has been
found impossible during the last few years to get single family tenants for
them. The owners have been compelled to let them for the purpose of being
sub-let to two or more families, with a disastrous result from a sanitary
as well as a remunerative point of view. Large landlords hardly know
what to do to meet this changed state of affairs. Some landlords have
pulled their property down and have erected on the sites two or three
storeyed houses with accommodation for a family on each floor, others
again are arranging better class houses in pairs and so providing more or
less expensive flats. The enormous wear-and-tear suffered by a house of
the old type which is let out in lodgings by the tenant, and where every
available cupboard is occupied, as is so often the case, is a serious burden
upon the landlord in the way of repairs. In old houses landlords are
beginning to realise that alterations must be made to enable them to
successfully compete with new and well arranged dwellings near. The
London County Council have within the last few years in their General
Powers Acts obtained important provisions dealing with the water supply
to tenement houses, the cleanliness of bedding and clothing, verminous
rooms, &c., all which powers are excellent and necessary. In this borough
a large number of houses have been given this additional water supply on
the upper floors, to the benefit alike of all parties. The landlord has let
his property better, whilst the tenant has been grateful for the accommodation.
This work of a further water supply has not been carried out in
houses without an immense amount of labour on the part of the sanitary
staff, as in every case of this additional water supply the whole of the
circumstances have had to be taken into consideration so as not to create
a nuisance. In the cases in which the landlord has followed our
instructions, I believe we have been successful in this matter. There
have been certain principles which we have held to all along, and which
have had the assent of the Council, (1) Two storeyed houses up to now