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and many have no back areas. Notices were served in respect of each, of the premises to
abate the nuisances and remedy the sanitary defects that existed. These have all been complied
with, except some of the structural defects that could only be remedied by an improvement
scheme. His report contains a list of houses closed voluntarily, demolished, re-built, etc.,
as well as of houses he represented under Part II. of the Housing of the Working Classes Act.
Dr. Newman describes three groups of areas in Finsbury. The first group includes five areas,
viz., Aylesbury-place area, Roby-street area, Garden-row area, Baltic-street area and Hondurasstreet
area, containing 264 houses with an approximate population of 1,704, which the County
Council has decided shall be improved by scheme under Part I. of the Act. The purchase of
the property by the County Council is now proceeding. The second group includes six comparatively
small areas in the parish of St. Luke, represented by Dr. Yarrow when medical officer
of health of that district. These the County Council left to be dealt with by the district
authority; they contain 110 houses and an approximate population of 859. "The third group,"
Dr. Newman writes, "are properties in the western division of the borough which are similar to
those in the second group and demand improvement schemes at an early date. They have not yet
been represented. Concerning the areas mentioned in the second and third groups, it may be said
that they are now receiving attention. In more than one instance the owner of the property
is himself undertaking its demolition, and in this way justly and fully meeting his responsibilities.
In other cases it will be necessary to proceed with a considerable degree of legal
strictness." Dr. Newman states that a large part of the borough is covered by warehouses, factories,
workshops, or small shops, in immediate proximity to, and often crowded together with,
dwelling houses. The majority of the dwelling houses are of two or three storeys, the former
situated in narrow streets and alleys off main thoroughfares. Many of them are small, old
cottages showing signs of decay, the majority consisting of two rooms. These are generally
occupied by a single family. The three-storey houses are generally in the larger thoroughfares.
They were originally constructed for one family, and are now occupied by more than one family,
for which they are not adapted. The most satisfactory immediate treatment for much of this
kind of house property is registration under the by-laws for houses let in lodgings. Dr. Newman
comments on the fact that building has taken place on the yard space at the rear of houses,
practically converting them into back-to-back houses. "Finsbury," he says, "is at present in
the transition stage of a radical change from a residential into a non-residential commercial district
comparable to the City of London. Such a transition acts prejudicially for a long series
of years on dwelling house property and overcrowding," and he adds tnat one of the most
essential requirements in Finsbury at the present time is sanitary supervision of existing
houses, which will deal with house structure and sanitary maintenance, and with overcrowding
of persons. Dr. Collingridge states in his report on the City that two houses in Sandys-row,
Middlesex-street, four houses in Heneage-lane, Aldgate, represented in February, 1900, and three
houses in Three Herring-court, Redcross-street, represented in July, 1901, have been demolished,
also that two houses in Beech-street, Barbican, and three houses in Fann-street were pulled down
by the owners, who adopted this course rather than carry out the extensive repairs required by
the sanitary committee. Dr. Bryett gives account of 31 houses in Shoreditch which were
closcd to enable the necessary improvements to be effected. Dr. Bate gives particulars of
a small area in the east district of Bethnal-green, which he examined "with a view to
submit a report, under Part I. of the Housing Act, to the London County Council."
The area comprises all the houses in Digby-street, Digby-walk, Baker-street and Lansdellplace,
i.e., 96 houses, occupied by 640 persons. Of the 96 houses, 54 are more or less
dilapidated and dirty, and the houses on the south side of Digby-walk are back to back
with those in Digby-street. The average mortality of the area for the past three years is 34.2
per 1,000 population, that of the whole of Bethnal-green being 18"7 per 1,000. Dr. Thomas, in
referring to overcrowding in Stepney, points out that the number of immigrants annually
arriving in the borough adds to the difficulty caused by want of house accommodation. Mr.
Alexander states that he made a representation to the London County Council under Part I. of
the Housing of the Working Classes Act, of "an unhealthy area in Poplar, comprising Providence-cottages,
certain houses in Emmett-street and Arnold's-buildings, in all, 122 dwelling
houses if Arnold's-buildings be considered as 110 tenements." Dr. Priestley states that
the Ecclesiastical Commissioners have a large building scheme in Lambeth. It is
proposed to demolish a number of old and worn-out buildings situated on an area which
is bounded by the south side of New-cut on the north, Short-street on the east, Uffordstreet
on the south, and the east side of Webber-street on the west, and including Mitre
and Caffyn-streets. There will be erected on the area 38 three-storey tenement houses and 24
two-storey cottages, together with business premises facing the New-cut and some dwelling
houses with shops—accommodation for about 250 tenants in all. Dr. Priestley says there will
eventually be a total displacement of 643 persons, excluding children. About half an acre will
be devoted to open space. He also mentions that the Loudon and South Western Railway Company
are erecting blocks of artisans' dwellings on three sites, viz., Boniface-street (Upper Marsh),
55 tenements, 145 rooms ; South Lambeth-road site (Miles-street), 190 tenements, 450 rooms ;
Maudslay's site (Westminster-bridge-road), 300 tenements, 730 rooms. In a special report he
calls attention to the rebuilding or alteration of existing houses into separate flats, which has
taken place in a number of streets, fifteen of which he mentions, and he says that, "There are
in Lambeth plenty of houses that would readily lend themselves to a similar conversion." He
is of opinion that in the inner wards tenement blocks might be erected by the Borough Council on
vacant (or occupied) land to be acquired compulsorily for the purpose, and in the absence of
sites at a suitable price, he suggests existing houses could be converted in the manner mentioned