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103 Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
of these houses. Mr. Booth states that "what is happening can
"only be explained as the result of official corruption."
The sanitary arrangements of all the new houses in these
new streets are most satisfactory, each flat being supplied with a
water-closet of approved pattern constructed under the supervision
of the Sanitary Inspector, and the drains were also laid
under his supervision.
Another statement made with reference to the houses being
erected in this locality is to the effect that " ground on the opposite
"bank is being filled up with filthy decaying refuse, and on the
"ground so raised streets are planned." This is an absolute falsehood.
The ground being filled up with decaying refuse referred
to is the slop shoot which is the property of this Council, and
which will not, and cannot be built on at any time. If the quotation
does not refer to this the only other locality that it can refer
to is the ground recently built on comprising Penwith and Strathville
Roads, and although this ground has to some extent been
made up, the material used has been of a satisfactory character.
The streets specifically mentioned by Mr. Booth as being an
insanitary area are Wardley Street, Bendon Valley, and Lydden
Road, the worst of these being, in his opinion, Wardley Street.
I have had a very complete house-to-house inspection made of
these three localities within the last few weeks, and with regard to
the two last, viz.—Bendon Valley and Lydden Road, I am able to
report that the houses are in a very satisfactory condition, and with
the exception of a few notices served for dirty walls and ceilings
no insanitary conditions were found.
In Bendon Valley 45 houses were inspected, 23 of these were
occupied by one family, 13 of two families, two of three families,
and two by four families. The rents vary from 5/- to 12/6 per
house, or from 1/3 to 1/7 per room.
With regard to Wardley Street it may be stated that this
street occupies rather a peculiar position. The street itself consists
of 78 houses, 74 of which were inspected, two being unoccupied,
and in two cases entrance could not be obtained owing
to the absence of the occupiers from home during the day. The
street, although not a cul-de-sac, is nearly so, as the street leading
into Lydden Road is blocked by 3 houses with the exception of a