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Islington—The medical officer of health regrets that there are only 393 houses on the register.
Registration, he urges, protects the occupiers against the supineness of the owners in remedying sanitary
defects, and also secures the latter against the carelessness and sometimes the misconduct of the occupiers.
He is of opinion there should be power under by-law to compel persons who let their houses in tenements
but who do not reside in them to appoint one of their tenants as caretaker. After referring to overcrowding,
and the difficulty of the poor to find accommodation he writes " the state of affairs in
Islington at the present moment points to the necessity of further houses being put on the register and
to the appointment of an additional inspector."
Hackney—Owing to sudden and exceptional demands being made upon the sanitary staff, the
expectations of the medical officer of health as to the number of houses which would be registered at
the end of 1897 have not been realised. The vestry has now agreed to appoint two additional inspectors.
St. Giles—The number of houses on the register in this district is 575, the regulations "have been
continuously employed with the most satisfactory results." Two owners were convicted of breach of
regulations, the fines and costs amounted to £63 2s. 6d. and £56 2s.
St. Martin-in-the-Fields—The sanitary inspector appointed permanently to inspect these houses,
has regularly carried out this duty.
Strand—The number of registered houses was increased by four during the year, while four have
been closed. "Much good has been effected by raising the standard of cleanliness in many houses
which, while not being insanitary in construction, were not originally built to accommodate more than
one family, and even now, with fair use, need not become insanitary. The object of these by-laws is
to do two things, to prevent overcrowding, and to make the persons living in the houses acquire cleanly
habits." Writing of the effect of the by-laws in causing improvement in the habits of people, the
medical officer of health says " to an extent the by-laws give the opportunity for this to be done, the
weekly visit of the inspector, together with the advice he is able to offer, has an excellent effect
especially when it is known that failure to adopt it may lead to an appearance in the police court." In
only one case was it necessary to institute proceedings before a magistrate. The medical officer of
health discusses the need for sanitary authorities making greater effort to educate the poor in matters
affecting health, and expresses the opinion that the employment of women for this purpose would be
useful.
Holborn—" During the year closing orders were obtained for four of these houses. Eight houses
were also closed voluntarily, and four of these were rebuilt. The number of these houses on the register
at the end of last year was 29. As another sanitary inspector has been appointed, the number of these
houses will probably be increased this year."
Clerkenwell—" Towards the end of 1896 new by-laws for houses let in lodgings were introduced.
Slow but steady progress has been made with the work of placing suitable houses on the register, the
present number being 86. Originally 350 cubic feet were allowed for rooms used as dwelling rooms as
well as sleeping apartments, this, however, has since been altered to 400 cubic feet, the alteration
bringing us into line with all other districts."
St. Luke—In discussing Dr. Young's report on the condition and sanitary administration of the
district (see appendix Y.) the medical officer of health writes, " I consider it desirable that the by-laws
for the registration of houses let in lodgings should be made practicable and be put into operation as
soon as possible, because the class of houses to which it is desirable to apply them are of necessity
subject to recurring nuisances of a nature which could be more expeditiously dealt with in the manner
proposed than by any other which has hitherto been suggested." For this purpose he recommends
the appointment of an additional sanitary inspector.
City—The by-laws which were confirmed in 1896 are now in operation. A notice 'was served
upon the owner of every house coming within the scope of the regulations.
Shoreditch—There are now 114 houses on the register, 34 houses having been registered during
the year.
Bethnal-green—The medical officer of health gives account of the views of the Bethnal-green
Vestry which had led them to decline to enforce the by-laws for houses let in lodgings. With the chief
sanitary inspector he attended a meeting of the Council's Public Health Committee and expressed the
views of his authority to the committee. Briefly stated, they were that the by-laws were harsh and
oppressive, that they were impracticable, that magistrates would not convict, that an increase of the staff
would be required, that the time taken up in the necessary inspections and the keeping of the register
could be more profitably occupied, and that the by-laws are in no sense a remedy for overcrowding.
He expresses favourable views as to the usefulness of the by-laws, and states that this opinion was
supported by that of the chief sanitary inspector, who had had practical experience of their working in
Chelsea. He thus sums up the advantages which may be expected if the by-laws are put in force—
" (1) Increased facility for ensuring and maintaining the proper cleanliness of passages,
staircases, rooms, and yards of tenement houses.
(2) The improvement of the ventilation and lighting of the rooms of such houses.
(3) The more early and certain detection of sanitary defects such as bad water suppy
and choked drains, by means of regular periodical inspections.
(4) The early isolation and removal of infectious cases.
(5) The definition and detection of overcrowding and indecent occupation."
St. George-in-the-East—The medical officer of health states that the sanitary committee of the
vestry had under consideration the report which I presented to the Council's Public Health Committee
on this subject. The number of houses on the register has now been increased to 56, and he points
out that this includes, so far as he is aware, all the tenement houses in the parish which by reason of
the rents come within the scope of the regulations.