View report page

228 Annual Report of the London County Council, 1913.
Under the Tuberculosis Order of 1913, the animal is to be valued before slaughter (1) as a
tuberculous animal and (2) as a non-tuberculous animal. If the animal be found to have been
suffering from tuberculosis (not being advanced tuberculosis as defined in the Order) the owner shall
be paid three-fourths of the agreed value of the animal as a tuberculous animal. If, however, the
animal was suffering from advanced tuberculosis the compensation payable will be one-fourth of the
value of the animal as a tuberculous animal, or the sum of £1 10s., whichever is the greater. In the
event of the animal proving to be non-tuberculous the owner is to be paid the full agreed value of the
animal, plus £1. The compensation payable in respect of a tuberculous animal is less under the
Order than under the Council's General Powers Act. Moreover, the Government has expressed its
intention of bearing, for a period of five years from 1st May, 1913, one-half of the amount payable
by way of compensation under the Order. The Council now, however, has to deal with all bovine
animals and not with cows only as heretofore.
From 1st May to 31st December, 1913, 46 cases were dealt with under the Order, and 25 cows
were seized and slaughtered in accordance with section 5 (1) of the Order. Sums amounting to £96
13s. 3d. were paid to owners as compensation.
In 1904, 1905, 1907 and 1909 to 1912 inclusive, censuses were taken by the medical officer
of homeless persons in the County of London in order to ascertain the use made of common lodging
houses, and the provision existing for the accommodation of persons of the poorest class. A further
census was made on the night of 14th February, 1913, and the medical officer submitted a report
showing the number of persons found homeless on that night in the street, on staircases or under
arches, the number and sex of persons who might reasonably be regarded as homeless on the ground
of not being able to pay for a bed, the arrangements made for the shelter of persons of this description,
and other information bearing on the question. The total number of homeless persons found was 649
as compared with 1,203 at the census of 1912. Following the practice adopted in previous years,
the report was printed and placed on sale.*
During the year licences were granted to keep and use, as common lodging-houses, 287
premises in the County of London, and in the same period seven licensed keepers were fined £18 with
£4 9s. 6d. costs for having infringed the Council's by-laws. In one case the Council failed to secure
a conviction, and the summons was dismissed with costs against the Council.
Proceedings were instituted against the keeper of certain premises in Crescent-street, Kensington,
for keeping common lodging-houses without a licence. The summonses came on for hearing at
the West London Police Court on 31st July, 1913. It was admitted by the defendant that rooms
were let in each house at Is. a night to persons of the common lodging-house class, but it was stated
that there was no common room for the use of lodgers. On behalf of the Council it was argued that
the magistrate was bound by the decision of the Court of Appeal in the case of Parker v. Talbot, in
which it was held that the definition of a common lodging-house, contained in the Common Lodging
Houses Act (Ireland), 1860, was applicable to this country. That definition is as follows—
" A ' common lodging-house' means a house in which persons are harboured or lodged
for hire for a single night or for less than a week at a time, or any part of which is let for any
term less than a week."
The Council, therefore, appealed to the High Court against the magistrate's decision, but the
appeal was not heard during the year under review.
During the year licences to keep seamen's lodging-houses were granted in respect of 42
premises. Legal proceedings were instituted in several instances for keeping unlicensed seamen's
lodging-houses. In 3 cases a conviction followed and fines amounting to £17, with £2 6s. costs, were
imposed.
Various complaints were made to the Council under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891,
as to insanitary conditions or failures in sanitary administration. The practice adopted is, in the
case of signed complaints, to forward the complaint to the sanitary authority and to take no further
action unless the complainant appeals again to the Council. In the case of anonymous complaints
the purport of the complaint is sent to the medical officer of the district, and, unless an intimation is
received that action has been taken, an inspection is subsequently made, and, if then found necessary,
a further communication is sent to the sanitary authority concerned.
In pursuance of the authority conferred upon the Council by section 19 of the Public Health
(London) Act, 1891, in one case certain premises were removed from the register, as the right to carry
on soap-boiling thereat had elapsed.
Section 19 (1) (a) of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, prohibits the establishment anew
and the subsequent carrying on of certain offensive businesses, including that of a manure manufacturer.
A business of this nature has been established for many years by Freeland and Smith, Limited, at
Railway-arches, Nos. 13 and 14, of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway Company in Almondroad,
Bermondsey, but it was reported to the Council that the business was also being carried on at
adjoining premises. It was, therefore, necessary that proceedings should be instituted against the firm,
and the Council was advised that it was the duty of the Bermondsey Metropolitan Borough Council
to take action in the matter. The borough council, however, dissented from this view, and refused
to prosecute, and the Council therefore decided to take proceedings in default in pursuance of section
100 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891. The case came on for hearing at the Tower-bridge police
court on 1st and 8th October, 1913, when the defendants, who pleaded "not guilty," were convicted
* Report by the Medical Officer, submitting the result of a ccnsus of homeless persons taken on the night of
14th February, 1913, (No. 1,586) Price 2d.
Census of
homeless
persons.
Common
lodging
houses.
Seamen's
lodging
houses.
Nuisances.
Offensive
businesses.