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104
As years go on fewer and fewer houses will be found sufficiently
bad to require action to be taken under Part II. of the Housing of
of the Working Classes Act, more especially as a systematic supervision
of houses is keeping them up to a better standard of
sanitary repair. In judging of the work that is being done in connection
with the Houses of the working classes, due regard
must be given to the action taken under the Metropolis
Local Management and Public Health Acts, as well as the special
action taken in exceptionally bad cases, under Part II. of the
Housing Act, 1890. Taking the statistics for the last five years,
during which I have been Medical Officer, 261 houses have been
condemned under Part II. of the Housing of the Working Classes
Act, 1890, whilst under the Public Health and Metropolis
Management Acts, during the same period, 49,680 Notices have
been served, having reference to sanitary works of a structural
(and permanent), or non-structural, character. Further 411
houses containing 2,369 rooms, in which were housed, at the time
of registration, 4,093 workpeople, have been registered under the
Bye-laws for Houses Let in Lodgings.
The site in Lambeth Walk (Fountain, Francis, and Paved
Courts) on which stood 27 houses, which were condemned under
Part II. of the Housing Act, on December 12th, 1895, and afterwards
closed and demolished, has now been converted into a
builder's yard. The opportunity has, therefore, unfortunately
gone by for securing this site as an open space, or a play-ground
for children, as was suggested by the Medical Officer to the late
Vestry in the Annual Reports for 1896, 1897, and 1898.
An important duty is awaiting the new Borough Council in connection
with the Housing of the Working Classes in Lambeth. A
new Amendment Act has been passed and is now in force, by which
power is given to the London County Council to adopt and carry
out Part III. of the Housing Act, 1890, outside the districts over
which they have jurisdiction, as well as inside. Further, the new
London Government Act, 1899, has given similar powers (concurrently
with the L.C.C.) to the new Boroughs of the Metropolis.
Great things will be expected of the Lambeth Borough Council
in connection with the adopting of Part III. of the Housing Act,
1890 (and as amended by the Housing Act, 1900), by which the