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79
the Working Glasses Act, 1903, in respect of the re-housing of persons
displaced, it became necessary to ascertain the number of persons living
in the area. At the time of the passing of the Act the number of
persons belonging to the working class who would have to be re-housed
was about 1,800. The result of a census is that 2,002 persons were
found, including the inmates of a common lodging-house but excluding
those in the Church Army Shelter. About 220 of the. inhabitants would
not come under the definition of "Working Class" laid down in the
Schedule 12 (e) of the Housing Act, 1903. Having now a definite
population it is possible to ascertain the death rate of the area in
question. It works out at 27.5 per 1,000 for 1909, phthisis deaths
at 3'5 per 1,000, other forms of tuberculosis at 2.0 per 1,000, and
respiratory diseases at 4 per 1,000. There were no deaths connected
with the common lodging house or the shelter. In many instances no
addresses were obtainable for persons who died in institutions, except
that they belonged to St. John's; none of these have been included.
Several cases of overcrowding were discovered, a proportion of the
people displaced by the pulling down of houses in Parker Street and
Lewisham Street have moved into this area. There were 80 families in
Parker Street and in Lewisham Street. There has also been some
recent displacement in the area by the closure of houses in Laundry
Yard. In 1902 there were 120 persons in 19 houses, now there are 62
persons in eight houses.
This neighbourhood requires the constant attention of an inspector;
221. notices to remedy defective conditions were served during 1909.
Houses occupied as tenements have also been demolished in Mercer
Street, Long Acre, and in Eaton Lane, near Victoria Station. The
former are being rebuilt; the site of the latter is being utilised for the
erection of a new hotel. There were 29 houses in Eaton Court and
Eaton Lane containing 116 rooms and 130 persons were displaced.
There is, however, plenty of available accommodation in the streets off
Lupus Street, although not so centrally situated as Eaton Lane.
Accommodation for the Storage of Food.—In the London County
Council (General Powers) Act, 1909, provision is made whereby
suitable arrangements must be made for the storage of food in tenement
dwellings. The Section is:—
"16. If at any time it appears to any Sanitary Authority that in any
tenement house within their district sufficient and suitable accommodation
for the storage of food is not provided for the use of each family
occupying such house on the storey or one of the storeys in which are
situate the room or lodgings in the separate accommodation of such
family, the Sanitary Authority may, if the provision of such accommoda-
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