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23
UNHEALTHY DWELLINGS.
The first care of the Sanitary Department must necessarily
he the close supervision of the worst class of dwellings. Attention
has been specially directed to No. 8 Ward, many blocks
of buildings which have been erected in former years, without
any consideration except that of covering space and packing
them in as closely as possible. There are three such blocks
that particularly occur to me, viz:—Brantome Place, backing
on to Crescent Mews North; Peace cottages, backing on to
Speedy Place, and Brunswick Grove. The latter is a very
unhealthy collection of dwellings, and has already been reported.
At my last visit little seemed to have been done to improve
them. Whitewash and wall-paper are not the sole requirements
of a reasonably healthy abode. With regard to single dwellings,
I would in conclusion strongly urge upon the Vestry to adopt
the bye-laws for "Houses let in Lodgings," a not very happy
definition for "tenemented dwellings." In some directions it
should prove an economical advantage, in preventing the waste
of time of your Inspectors in serving notices on cellar-dwellings
already condemned by your Sanitary Committee, which have
become re-occupied, in cases of overcrowding when the nuisance
recurs after no great interval, and in other cases of recurring
nuisances which absorb the time of your Inspectors. In cases
where legal proceedings are necessary, they would be much facilitated
and a large amount of time would be saved. By working
the bye-laws directly under the control of your Sanitary Committee
it would act with a powerfully moral effect, inasmuch as
it would be necessary to place only the worst form of tenements
on the register, a condemnation which conscientious owners
would seek to avoid by maintaining the premises in a reasonably
healthy condition. It is not at all necessary that a large
register should be kept; in fact, it would be well to make merely
a tentative effort at first. I strongly commend this to your
early attention as tending to improve the efficiency of your
Sanitary Department.
I have the honour to be,
Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
JOHN F. J. SYKES.
Medical Officer of Health.