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are facilitated at the request of, and in the interests of, the persons concerned,
and a special register is kept whereby it is possible to arrange transfers between
Council's tenants, when both parties are agreeable.
Removals
and empties.
During the year 958 tenants left, of whom 63 were given notice to quit, either for
non-payment of rent, unsatisfactory conduct, or some other cause. The remaining
895, about 5 per cent. of the total number of tenants, gave notice and left to suit
their own convenience.
Enumeration
of tenants
and overcrowding
The annual enumeration of tenants was taken in January, 1926, when it was
found that the actual population of the dwellings was approximately 90,500 persons,
which is greater than that of Ilford or Hornsey or the Metropolitan Borough of
Hampstead and almost as great as that of Northampton or Southend-on-Sea.
As in previous years, the enumeration returns were carefully examined in order
to detect overcrowding. For this purpose the maximum number of persons to be
allowed in any tenement has been fixed at two adults a room, children up to the
age of five not being taken into account, and each child between the age of five
and ten being regarded as half an adult. This year the number of Non-Assisted
Scheme tenements not complying with this standard was 342 out of a total of 9,993,
and in Assisted Scheme dwellings, 24, out of a total of 11,988. At last year's
enumeration it was found that 313 Non-Assisted Scheme dwellings and 18 Assisted
Scheme dwellings exceeded this limit. The excess is due in a measure to the increase,
with the course of time, of the ages of tenants' children, but mainly, of
course, to the continuance of the general shortage of accommodation and the consequent
difficulty of obtaining larger tenements. All the cases, however, although
not complying with the Council's regulations, fall short of the standard of overcrowding
laid down in the by-laws made under the Public Health Acts. The
crowding will be remedied as opportunities occur by transfers to larger tenements.
occupations
of tenants.
Particulars of the occupations of the tenants have been obtained. These
particulars, while conveying a general idea of the different occupations of the
tenants, in some respects do not adequately describe the nature of employment
owing to the individual tenants' varying descriptions of their employment. The
information is obtained from the tenants who, it will be realised, do not in many
cases give clear and precise descriptions of their occupations. Thus, it is impossible
to say how many of the 346 tenants who describe themselves as "Conductors" are
tramway conductors or omnibus conductors,while it may be observed that 806 tenants
describe themselves as "Motor Drivers" and 40 tenants simply as "Drivers."
For example, also, the description "Civil Servant," probably includes such employees
as postmen and messengers as well as clerical employees, while 808 tenants
describe themselves as "Post Office Workers," an occupation which might by some
be regarded as coming under the heading "CivilServants." It "may be noted that
the two most numerous categories of tenants are "Clerks, etc.," of whom there
are 1,937, and "Labourers," of whom there are 1,294. Of the tenants, 460 describe
themselves as "Railway Workers," and 407 as "Tramway Workers." Adding
to these figures the number of tenants who describe themselves as "Conductors,"
"Drivers," "Motor Drivers," and "Engine Drivers" and probably a considerable
number of the "Engineers" and "Labourers," it is clear that a large proportion of
the tenants are engaged in the transport service.
Fixation of
rents.
The rents charged for the dwellings are fixed on the basis of pre-war rents
of similar accommodation in the neighbourhood, the 40 per cent. increase allowed
by the Increase of Rent, etc., Acts, being added and due variations being made
having regard to size, amenities and position.
RentRestrictions
Acts.
Under the Increase of Rent and Mortgage Interest (War Restrictions) Act, 1915,
the additional rates which the Council had to pay in respect of the dwellings were
added to the rents payable by the tenants while, in accordance with the Increase of
Rent and Mortgage Interest (Restrictions) Act, 1920, the rents were further