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THE STRAND DISTRICT, LONDON. 29
Closing orders were obtained in respect of two houses, and
five houses were voluntarily closed by their owners after service
of notice by your Board. In one case a summons was taken out
for the illegal use of underground after notice, and a penalty of
40s. and costs was imposed.
Houses let in Lodgings.—Your Health Committee had under
consideration a report of the County Council on the subject of the
enforcement of the by-laws relating to houses let in lodgings and
recommended the Board in view of the great benefits which have
accrued from the regular inspection which has been instituted of
registered houses, more houses should be added to the register.
In accordance with this recommendation your Board added
thirty-four houses. On the 1st January, 1899, there were on the
register ninety-five houses (fifty in St. Anne, forty-five in Strand).
Three of these are at present closed. Those occupied contain
829 rooms and accommodate 1,708 persons.
Wilful Damage, to Sanitary Conveniences.—It has frequently
been brought to my notice that a certain class of tenants, when
under notice to leave their rooms, wilfully stop up waterclosets,
sinks, and drains, and then write to the County Council, or to your
Board, complaining that the house is in a bad condition. Under
the Public Health Act, any person destroying such works or
apparatus, so that a nuisance is caused, or without proper authority,
is liable on conviction, to a fine. Under another section, wilfully
stopping up, or wilfully interfering with, or improperly using
such conveniences, renders the person so acting liable to a penalty.
The difficulty is, however, to obtain evidence sufficient to obtain a
conviction; under these circumstances, notices were prepared
setting forth the law on the subject, and owners of property let to
this class of tenant, have been requested to place the notices in
some situation where they could be seen readily by the tenants.
This has been complied with in a number of instances, with
apparently good results.
Housing of the Working Classes Act.—During 1898 the
Council have been occupied in negotiating for the properties in
the Clare Market area, and have acquired possession of a number