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77
are largely occupied with new buildings and reconstruction, while in
Pimlico and St. John's the work is chiefly attending to insanitary conditions.
During and since the war the number of insanitary conditions
in Pimlico especially have increased, partly due to the degeneration of
this district which has been gradually taking place over a considerable
number of years, by reason of the breaking-down of houses previously
let to one family into flats and tenements. Pimlico has always been a
difficult district to deal with on account of so many of the houses being
leased by persons who make their living through sub-letting their houses,
which for many is their sole source of income. As a result of the higher
cost of living and of all works of repair, these people, in many instances,
have not had the funds to expend in keeping up their houses to a pre-war
standard, while others have spent their savings in so doing. In some
cases the leaseholders, having only a few years to run, have had to surrender
their leases through inability to do what is necessary. The Restriction of
Rents Acts have prevented the getting rid of careless and dirty tenants,
whose conduct leads to an increase for renovations in excess of the amount
of the authorised increase of rent, which, moreover, is frequently not paid.
" From these causes the work of an Inspector in this district has become
much more onerous, and the difficulty in getting work carried out necessitates
more visits to properties on which notices have been served than was
formerly the case. He is thus unable to give the time to systematic
house-to-house visiting. I am of opinion that, in this district particularly,
the need for an additional Inspector is required, in order that such
systematic visiting should be carried out."
During the year the Council lost the services of one of its Sanitary
Inspectors, Mr. J. W. Whipp, who was obliged to retire on account of illhealth.
Mr. Whipp, who was originally appointed by the Vestry of
St. George's, Hanover Square, and was taken over by the Council on its
formation, was a very experienced and conscientious officer. Mr. John
Smith was apointed temporarily during his illness and continued in that
position on Mr. Whipp's retirement pending the appointment of a successor.
Mrs. Watkinson, Health Visitor, also retired on account of ill-health
and was replaced by Miss M. M. Scott.
In the same Report I also reminded the Council that the work of the
Department was much hampered by the insufficiency of the clerical staff
which threw a considerable amount of clerical work on the Medical
Officer of Health, but I recognised that until the additional office accommodation
is provided, for which arrangements have been made, there is
no room in the present office for more clerks or for the proper storage of
records. It is also desirable that the Medical Officer of Health should
have the assistance of a medical man to enable him to deal with various
matters, for example, Diphtheria (see remarks ante). With the decreasing