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use of the regulations. Some of the houses formerly registered have been demolished, and in recent years
the regulations have unfortunately been allowed to fall entirely into disuse. The question of framing
new by-laws has been considered from time to time by the vestry, but no action has been taken, and
at the present time no use is being made by the vestry of its power to regulate houses let in lodgings.
ClerkenweU.—Regulations came into force in 1887, and a large number of houses (971) was
placed upon the register. In reply to a letter from the Council in 1889 the vestry state that "a register
has been carefully prepared of every house let in tenements in the parish, and in the opinion of the
vestry the regulations relating to these houses are working advantageously to the parish." The use of
these regulations was, however, subsequently given up. The question as to the framing of by-laws
under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, was then for some time considered by the vestry, but it
was not until a few months ago that these by-laws actually came into force. In the by-laws in
question the requirements as to cubic space are less adequate than those which obtain in other districts
in London, for which by-laws have within recent years been confirmed by the Local Government Board.
The first six notices to supply the information with a view to registering bouses were recently issued
in ClerkenweU.
Fulham.—By-laws under tho Public Health (London) Act were confirmed in 1895. Up to the
present time only 24 houses have been registered. There is obviously need for a large extension of the
use of the by-laws.
Greenwich.—Regulations were adopted in 1884, and a few houses were registered in the parish
of Greenwich, but none were registered in the two parishes of Deptford. New by-laws were adopted by
the Greenwich District Board of Works in 1896. At the present time there are nine houses on the
register in Greenwich parish. No houses are registered in the two parishes of Deptford.
Hackney.—Regulations under the Sanitary Act were adopted in 1866 in Hackney. Particulars
concerning a large number of houses were ascertained, and for the first few years after the regulations
came into force many notices were served and considerable use was made of them. The detailed results
of inquiries concerning upwards of 5,000 houses were entered from time to time in the registers. It
was soon found, however, impossible to inspect the registered houses at frequent intervals, as the staff of
sanitary inspectors was quite unable to cope with the large amount of additional work entailed. During
recent years the regulations were not made use of at all, and the registers were not kept up to date.
At the end of 1895 new by-laws, made by the Hackney Vestry under the Act of 1891, were confirmed by
the Local Government Board. Up to June, 1897, however, only 48 houses had been made subject to
these by-laws.
I visited several of these registered houses and found some of them in a fair sanitary condition.
Other houses which had been more recently placed on the register were exceedingly dirty and presented
many sanitary defects; overcrowding in the rooms of these houses was of common occurrence.
Adequate enforcement of the by-laws in the case of these houses would be productive of much good.
As yet, however, it is clear that the merest commencement only of what will no doubt prove a very
formidable task has been made in Hackney. The district contains a great many houses which require
to be regulated, and a large amount of additional work will have to be undertaken in order to satisfactorily
deal with these houses.
Hammersmith.—Regulations under the Act of 1866 were adopted in 1887; they were not
however enforced. In 1896, new by-laws under the Act of 1891 were confirmed by the Local
Government Board. For some years a house to house inspection has been in progress in the parish,
a special inspector being engaged in carrying out the duty ; this inspector has for some months past
reported cases in which the houses visited by him are found to come within the scope of the vestry's
new by-laws, and such houses have been registered. The total number on the register in June, 1897,
was 201. Inasmuch, however, as the practice of registering houses has only been adopted for a short
time, the number of houses on the register only represents a comparatively small proportion of the
houses let in lodgings in the parish to which the by-laws are applicable. A certain number of houses
which it might be desirable to register cannot be so dealt with, inasmuch as the rents exceed those
specified in the exemption clause, viz.: in the case of unfurnished lodgings 5s. per week and upwards.
In a large number of houses in Hammersmith, however, the tenements are let at rentals which bring
them within the scope of the by-laws.
In several instances, legal proceedings have been ordered by the vestry for non-compliance with the
requirement to supply information necessary for registration, but no summons has been taken out,
owing to the notices having subsequently been complied with. The measurements of rooms have not
been entered in the vestry's register. A good beginning has been made by the registration of the
201 houses, and by the carrying out of a certain amount of work in them. No machinery for the purpose
of keeping these houses under supervision has as yet been provided, and under these circumstances the
benefit which would result from administration of the by-laws is not being secured.
I visited a number of registered houses in Hammersmith, and found evidence that considerable
improvement had been effected in the majority of them. There was, however, urgent need for
systematic periodical inspection of these houses, and the prevention of overcrowding in particular is a
question which requires a great deal of attention.
Hampstead.—In this district regulations have been enforced since 1885, and extensive use has
been made of them. They were replaced by by-laws under the Act of 1891 in 1894. There are at the
present time 840 houses on the register. The annual cleansing of rooms is very thoroughly enforced and
the by-laws are found particularly useful, Dr. Gwynn informs me, in maintaining premises in a cleanly
condition. In company with Dr. Gwynn I visited four localities in Hampstead in which there is a considerable
number of registered houses. The beneficial operation of the by-laws was strikingly apparent
in the very fair condition of cleanliness and maintenance of the houses inspected. As regards over
crowding, no inspections at unusual hours have been made, and inasmuch as the power to proceed
directly for penalty has not been exercised, it is not surprising to find that the requirements of the
by-laws as to provision of cubic space appear to be less thoroughly enforced than are those relating to
cleanliness.