View report page

96
County Council (General Powers) Bill, 1908, requiring proper and
sufficient cooking accommodation in each dwelling will apply to
these houses, and further, (d) if the sink fixed under the water
supply tap on each floor, as required above, be used for slops and
urine, and becomes a nuisance by reason of the great distance of
the W.C., whether the only means of abating the nuisance will be
also to provide a slop or other closet on each floor.
(3) The changes enumerated in the previous paragraph suggest the
desirability of serious consideration, and whether the difficulties
would not be more easily overcome, and a better class of tenant
immediately secured by adapting the houses forthwith into flats,
in such a manner as to provide domestic and sanitary conveniences
on each floor, so as to make them self-complete although not selfcontained.
This might possibly wipe away at one stroke all the
difficulties enumerated in the previous paragraph and improve
the status of the property so much desired both by the Skinners
Company and the Council. With regard to the letting of flats,
floors, or rooms for immoral purposes, the prevention of this in
any class of house is a matter of good management and not of
mode of construction or equipment.
(4) Reconstruct ion in flats, or in the horizontal rather than the vertical
type of dwelling house is the form of reconstruction of dwelling
houses taking place in this part of London, but so long as the
main walls of a house are sound presumably adaptation will be
resorted to rather than reconstruction at the present time.
The County Council special provisions with regard to fire do not appear to
apply to ordinary sized dwelling houses adapted to be occupied in separate
dwellings, but in the case of large premises doubtless the Borough Council
would support any reasonable appeal to the County Council in favour of
the Skinners Company in endeavouring to improve the Sandhills Estate.
In conclusion, by thus setting out fully the difficulties that may probably
arise in the future it will be possible to take measures to avoid some and to
provide a remedy for others, and so benefit both public and private interests."
§ 4.—SCHOOLS.
At the 42 grant receiving schools 60 inspections were made during the year
by the Woman Inspector.
The Board of Education decided to relieve Local Authorities from the
obligation to provide school places for children nnder the age of five years, the
age at which compulsory school attendance begins; and many Authorities
are ceasing to admit school children from 3-5 years of age.
§ 5.—FACTORIES AND WORKSHOPS.
Factories.—The Men Inspectors had 397 and the Woman Inspector 108
factories upon the Registers for periodical inspection as to water service.