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4 Parish of Saint George the Martyr, Southwark.
Your Inspector has in several instanses. reported to the Police as to dangerous structures,
many have been taken down and very great improvements have been effected. The promptitude
of the Police in these matters and their successful care as to the lodging houses is beyond all
praise ; there are 25 lodging houses in this Parish capable of receiving 800 or 900 lodgers ; these
places were formerly the very worst for fever and like diseases; they are now, even in the Mint
and Kent Street among the most healthy places we have ; and this owing entirely to the care and
wise surveillance under the provisions of the Lodging House Acts.
The Inspector has several times seized unwholesome meat; very much is exposed for
sale in this Parish; in one case the offender was fined £5 and the carcases destroyed ; in another,
the meat was destroyed and a warning given.
An Order in Council has been received to close the Church vaults and to do certain
works under my supervision ; this will be done with the most respectful care ; that which is safe
to be done in the hot weather, the Churchwardens have ordered to be done now, the remainder of
the work ordered, will be done in the cold season. There can be no question as to the
necessity of the work; complaints have been made occasionally of very fetid exhalations getting into
the Church, and within this month people are stated to have gone out in consequence during the
service; meetings have been driven from the Vestry by the foul gases coming up from below
through openings direct from one place to the other—all this will be completely amended. The
churchyard walls are very high and impede light and ventilation, in some close thickly populated
courts ; it is a source of ill health; I have been in communication with the Churchwardens about
it; the work can, as I understand, be done for the bricks alone, without any money cost—it is
important, and I trust it will not be allowed to pass on unimproved. There are three or four
petitioners from the High .Street against this improvement, but I think they cannot press their
objection when they learn that more light, more air, and consequently health will be given to at
least 300 people.
In this Parish there are so many poor exceedingly bad conditioned unwholesome houses
and poor owners, where the work of improvement should not the less go on ; of course as much
as possible without oppressive action ; in such cases the provisions of the 216th sect. Local
Management Act and of the 20th sect. Nuisances Removal Act for payment by instalments would
materially lessen the grievance; and in some cases where a small property is owned by an
exceedingly poor person, and the place is in the highest degree unwholesome, the work might be
wisely done at I he public charge.
The state of the water supply for the quarter is as follows, the impurities stated in
grains per gallon :*—
Lambeth Company. Southwark Company.
TOTAL. ORGANIC. TOTAL. ORGANIC.
April.—21.60 2.52 17.80 1.08
May.—18.48 1.60 16.84 1.76
June.—17.08 0.56 18 10 2.36
* Dr. Thomson's Reports.
The water supply from the Lambeth Company's Works has become as you see gradually
better, while that of the Southwark Company has become worse; in connection with this subject
it must not be forgotten that the Lambelh Company has 4½ qcres of resorvoir for filtered water;
and that the Southwark Company has no provision of the kind, and appears to have moreover
the opportunity of admitting water at pleasure from a most unwholesome part of the river
near Battersea: no question this Company ought to place itself beyond suspicion. We do not,
however, come to this inquiry with clean hands; the comparatively good supply from the
companies is vitiated by defective home arrangements; I have seen water in the butts in scores
of cases during this hot weather, open, exposed to the full heat of the sun, warm, fermenting,
containing vegetation and animalcule in abundance, utterly unfit for use.
During the hottest of the weather the inhabitants of some of the densest districts,
Etham, Henry and Westcoit Streets for instance, have suffered much from want of water on
Sunday ; the people are to be seen going in all directions with saucepans and other utensils in
search of water. I have had many complaints of this. I believe an increased supply in all poor
neighbourhoods to be necessary.
(Signed) WILLIAM RENDLE.