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123
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
The number of intimation notices served was 6,491, compared
with 5,797 in 1903, and of statutory notices 1,029, compared with 785
in 1902.
The number of statutory notices served include By-law notices,
214 of which were served in respect of the following contraventions
of the By-laws:—
Yard paving 102, cistern covers 38, repairs to water closets 30,
repairs to water closet flushing apparatuses 11, dirty cisterns 26,
absence of manure receptacles 5, and privies 2.
The increase in the number of statutory notices was chiefly in
Clapham and Wandsworth.
The difference between Putney and Tooting in respect of statutory
notices is very noticeable. In Putney while 349 preliminary notices
were served, it was only necessary to serve statutory notices in seven
cases, whereas in Tooting 548 preliminary and 124 statutory notices
were served.
This great difference is due not so much to the class of property
as to the class of tenants. It has been frequently observed that in
Tooting a large proportion of the inhabitants have come from other
and overcrowded parts of London, and chiefly consist of casual labourers,
whereas in Putney the occupiers have in most instances resided in the
district for some time, and are generally engaged in regular occupations.
The number of cases of overcrowding dealt with during the year
was 103—11 in Clapham, three in Putney, 30 in Streatham, four in
Tooting, and 55 in Wandsworth. The cases in Wandsworth were
chiefly in the Fairfield and Springfield Wards. In the Fairfield Ward,
out of 34 cases, 22 were due to domestic overcrowding, while 12 were
caused by sub-letting. Of nine cases in Springfield Ward where it
was necessary to serve notice, six were due to domestic overcrowding,
two were caused by sub-letting single rooms to other families, while
one case occurred in a workshop.
All the cases of overcrowding were remedied without having
recourse to legal proceedings.
1,166 ashpits were provided or repaired, compared with 803 in
1903, and 433 complaints of non-removal of house refuse (102 from