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Inspectors, part of whose duty is to be "supervising the original
construction of drainage works, carried out under the Metropolis
Management Acts," having been advised that the duty referred to is not
included in the General Order of the Local Government Board (8th
December, 1891) in which the duties of a Sanitary Inspector are laid
down. The Local Government Board stated that they had been advised
that, from the point of view of uniform sanitary administration, the
proposal " (to supervise all drainage works) is one to be commended."
Seeing that the Local Government Board understand the difficulty,
it is hoped that they will find a way out of it by enlarging the duties of
Sanitary Inspectors so as to cover this work. In the alternative the
City Council might arrange to allocate a small part of each Inspector.s
salary for carrying out this particular work, on which a claim would not
lie made to the London County Council to pay a moiety.
Underground Dwellings.
When the City was re-incorporated it was found that, whereas in all
the other parts of the City the use of underground dwellings had not
been permitted, in St. James.s Parish a number existed. In view of the
difficulty experienced by the poorer classes in obtaining other more
suitable living accommodation in the district, the Council resolved not to
turn out the occupants of these dwellings all at once, but ordered a list
to be prepared, and an examination made, with a view to prevent the
use of such dwellings as, in my opinion, should be closed at once, and,
with regard to the remainder, notices were to be served on the owner
that, in the event of them being vacant, they were, on no account, to be
re-let separately for living purposes. As a result, 25 underground
rooms were vacated during 1901, and 13 during 1902.
Houses Let in Lodgings.
Consequent on the demolition of houses in connection with the
Strand to Holborn and Millbank Street improvements, the number of
registered houses has decreased. There are a number of houses which
might be placed on the Register, but until the Local Government Board
signify assent to new by-laws, it is impossible to say if such houses will
come under the operations of the new by-laws.