London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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London County Council 1928

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]

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164
in the streets, on staircases and under arches at the censuses in recent years were:—
1915, 178; 1916, 44; 1917, 28; 1918, 9; 1919, 8; 1920, 51; 1921, 56; 1922,
112; 1923, 141; 1924, 82; 1925, 118; 1926, 103; 1927, 101: and 1928, 78.
Common
lodginghouses.

Particulars with regard to common lodging-houses licensed by the Council are as follows:—

Year.Houses licensed.Lodgers authorised.Prosecutions.Convictions.Penalties and costs.Cases of infectious disease
192118118,50311£3 18s.1
192217817,94811£32
192317517,70055£19 10s.2
192417417,519nilnilnil1
192516816,93033£8 19s. 6d.1
192616416,96711£2 2s.2
192716417,059nilnilnil1
192815716,28122£4 2s.7

On the occasion of the census of homeless persons in February, 1928, 125 children
were found in common lodging-houses in London as compared with the average
of about 50 in recent previous years. The large majority were accommodated in
houses conducted by charitable organisations, which are either in touch with the
local infant welfare centres or have trained staff of their own. Even so, the whole
atmosphere and associations of a common lodging-house cannot but be regarded
as bad for any child, and anything longer than a temporary stay is undesirable.
It was considered that the time had come when steps should be taken definitely to
discourage the admission of children at the ordinary type of common lodging-house,
and an intimation was conveyed to all keepers of common lodging-houses that the
Council looked to them to co-operate with it in excluding children up to the maximum
school age (14 years) except on emergency for one night, unless the house had been
specifically approved by the Council as having suitable accommodation for children.
Even at houses with approved accommodation for children, it was the Council's
view that children should not be kept there for an indefinite period, and that all
possible steps should be taken by the keepers in such cases to secure that other
arrangements are made, if possible, within a reasonable time.
Seamen's
lodginghouses.

Particulars of seamen's lodging-houses licensed by the Council are as follows:—

Year.Houses licensed.Lodgers authorised.Prosecutions.Convictions.Penalties and costs.Cases of infectious disease.
1921511,2871311£130 10s. 6d.1
1922441,17011-1
1923361,08944£401
1924381,12844£14 3s.2
1925331,09277£41 8s.
1926341,07311£5 2s.1
1927311,06165£46 5s.-
1928271,04455£21 7s.1

Offensive
businesses.

The following table gives particulars of licensed slaughterhouses, knackers yards and registered offensive businesses:—

Year.Slaughterhouses.Knackers' yards.Offensive businesses.
1921158460
1922153460
19231474101
19241364230
19251324209
19261224165
19271154171
19281103169