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In Wandsworth parish eight houses have been registered recently and it is proposed to continue
to add to the number. I visited some houses in this district which afforded striking instances of the
need of regulation by by-law.
In Putney, Streatham and Tooting no use has as yet been made of the by-laws.
Westminster, St. Margaret and St. John.— In the united parishes of St. Margaret and St. John,
Westminster, large use has been made of by-laws regulating houses let in lodgings during the last
three years. The power to make regulations under the Act of 1866 was never exercised in Westminster,
indeed it was not until 1893 that by-laws came into operation. A special inspector was,
however, given the duty of carrying out the by-laws, and for a time an assistant inspector was also
engaged in connection with the work. Dr. Norton, the medical officer of health, in his annual report for
1895, was able to state that considerable progress had been made, as during the year 575 houses were
registered. The procedure adopted before registration was accomplished entailed a large amount of
labour, full particulars as to the houses and their occupants and as to the cubic contents of each room
being obtained and entered in the register. The services of the assistant inspector were retained
until June, 1896, and the work of registration was proceeded with. At the present time the number
of houses on the register is 1,190, and it is estimated that this number includes the large majority of
the houses in the united parishes which come within the definition of houses let in lodgings
and the rental of the tenements of which does not exceed the limits specified in the exemption
clause, viz.—8s. per week in the case of unfurnished lodgings and 11s. per week in the case of
furnished lodgings. An almost complete survey has thus been made of the streets in Westminster
containing houses of this class and a great improvement in the condition of these houses has been
effected. I visited several registered houses and found them clean and remarkably free from defects
such as can be remedied by the action of the sanitary authority; on the other hand I found premises
the condition of which stood in marked contrast to that obtaining in the registered houses, and I was
told that these premises could not be placed on the register because they did not come within the
definition of houses let in lodgings or occupied by members of more than one family.
Dr. Norton believes that the great advantage as regards legal procedure afforded by the
by-laws as compared with the general powers of the Public Health Act is that a breach of the bylaws
is a fineable offence with a further daily penalty after written notice, and is not a nuisance
subject to an order for abatement within a certain time. It would appear that the by-laws have from
the first been enforced with but little difficulty. During 1896, and during the present year, it has
only been necessary to take proceedings in 11 instances. With reference to the question of overcrowding,
it may be noted that Dr. Norton gives an account in his annual report for 1896 of an
inspection made during unusual hours. He says: "Under the by-laws a midnight inspection was
made on 5th October, 1896, of 40 tenements in Lewisham-street to ascertain the amount of overcrowding
that actually existed therein; most of the rooms were found to be slightly overcrowded,
and the nuisances arising therefrom were abated without much trouble. In four cases, however, it
was found necessary to take legal proceedings against the landlord for allowing excessive overcrowding,
the result of which was that a fine of one guinea was inflicted upon him and he had to pay eight
shillings costs." There can be no doubt that a few prosecutions of the kind instituted by the
Westminster sanitary authority will do more to put a stop to overcrowding than the mere issuing
of notices can ever effect. It is noteworthy, nevertheless, that in Westminster, where so much has
been done in the direction of making known the requirements of the law as to overcrowding, this
night inspection of the registered houses in Lewisham-street brought to light the fact that " most of
the rooms were found to be slightly overcrowded."
Whitechapel.—Regulations under the Act of 1866 were at one time in force in this district. No
use, however, has been made of them during recent years. In 1893 new by-laws under the Act of 1891
were confirmed. Their use has hitherto been limited to houses let out in "furnished rooms." Sixtyfour
houses are at the present time on the register. I visited several of these houses and found
evidence that great improvement had been effected in their condition. The use of the by-laws might,
however, in my opinion, with great advantage be largely extended in Whitechapel. It is much to be
regretted that the limits of rental specified in the exemption clause of the Whitechapel by-laws are so
low. The exclusion of unfurnished rooms letting at a rent exceeding 5s. per week has the effect of
placing outside the scope of the by-laws many tenements which should be subject to their provisions.
Woolwich.—Regulations under the Sanitary Act of 1866 were adopted in 1869, but they were
not systematically enforced. By-laws under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, came into operation
in 1895. Up to June, 1897, only 61 houses had been placed upon the register. These houses are
periodically inspected ; they cannot be regarded, however, as including all the houses in Woolwich to
which by-laws might, with advantage, be applied.
W. H. Hamer,
Assistant Medical Officer of Health.