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30 ON THE SANITARY CONDITION OF
of them. I have pointed out to the Council, through the Medical
Officer of the County, that certain houses were, in my opinion,
unfit for habitation, and that many of the houses were in such
condition that it would be necessary for the Council to have a
staff of men to look after their sanitary condition daily. Up to
the end of 1898, upwards of 50 houses have been closed by the
action of the Council, or of your Board, displacing about 340
persons, but as I have already pointed out, the majority of these
persons have not left the District. This has been ascertained by
myself and by your Inspectors finding such persons in the course
of inspection, and the Relieving Officer informs me that many of
the displaced persons were in receipt of relief, and that they still
reside in the district. The amount of vacant accommodation
is very limited, and is being provided to a considerable extent by
the migration from the neighbourhood, of families who were able
to rent one or more floors. On their removal, a poorer class take
possession of the rooms, one or two for each family. Under such
circumstances, overcrowding must constantly take place, with
deterioration of the property, which is entirely unsuited for
the use to which it is now being put. A further number of
houses are to be closed at the beginning of 1899, and it may
be said that now no accommodation exists for persons who may
be displaced hereafter, unless they avail themselves of the
Workhouse, or remove to a considerable distance from the
neighbourhood.
To meet this difficulty the Council have resolved to proceed
at once with the erection of artisans' dwellings in the vicinity of
the area. Three sites have been selected: —(a) On the north
side of the new street between Catherine Street and Drury Lane,
to accommodate 180 persons ; (b) in Drury Lane, a little above
Russell Street, for 360 persons ; (c) the third site is near Woburn
Place, and is to take 460 persons. The provision of these dwellings
will necessitate a slight alteration in the original scheme,
but it will leave the Clare Market area free for the erection of
houses for the people who will eventually be displaced by the new
street for which the Council is seeking power to make from