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The problem of improving the conditions under which meat was produced was
undoubtedly very difficult of solution 30 or more years ago, but by the passage of time
it is solving itself. The public abattoir at Islington of the City Corporation is capable
of dealing with all the needs of the county, and it is to be enlarged and modernised.
With the development of motor transport to convey meat quickly to the retailers'
shops, a number of small public abattoirs is not necessary. The private slaughterhouses
are disappearing fairly rapidly, and such slaughtering as goes on there is
under proper supervision. In these circumstances, the Council did not consider it
desirable that any action in the direction of establishing additional public abattoirs
in London should be taken.
Housing and Town Planning, etc.
The Council on the 20th of December, 1927, decided to make a scheme under
Part II. of the Housing Act, 1925, for the clearance of the Carlisle Street area, St.
Marylebone. The scheme was duly submitted to the Minister of Health for confirmation,
and a local enquiry was held on the 7th, 8th, 18th and 19th June, 1928. The
Minister of Health confirmed the scheme with certain omissions and qualifications,
by an Order dated 6th February, 1929, and entitled "The London County Council
(Carlisle Street Improvement Scheme) Order, 1929."
In connection with the progress of housing in Greater London the question of
overcrowding came under review. A prominent factor influencing the incidence of
overcrowding is the necessity in many cases for residence in the vicinity of place of
employment as well as the extra expense which would be incurred in travelling.
For many years there has been a steady decline in the size of individual families
in London. In 1911 the average private family consisted of 4.153 persons, and in
1921, of 3.786 persons. With the decrease in the birth-rate and in the natural
increase of population, the proportion of children has become steadily less. In 1891
the percentage to total population of children under 15 years of age was 32.6; in
1911 it was 28.8, and in 1921 had fallen still further to 26.4
There has been a substantial diminution in overcrowding in the County of
London since 1891, when information on the subject was first obtained in the census
returns. Nearly all the overcrowding exists in tenements of one to four rooms.
The ratio of occupants of such tenements living more than two to a room as shown
in each of the four census returns has been as follows year 1891, 35.6 per cent.;
1901, 29.6 per cent.; 1911, 27.6 per cent.; 1921, 22.7 per cent.
During the period 1921-28 it is estimated that the population of the County of
London decreased by 55,000, and that the number of houses increased by 30,000.
The estimated decrease of 55,000 in the population of the County of London resulted
from an overflow of an estimated number of 258,000 persons from the County of
London, mostly to the outer-London area. As during the same period the Council
erected 22,622 houses outside the County of London, it may fairly be said that, out of
the total overflow of 258,000 persons from theCounty, 101,800 persons(at an average of
41/2 persons a house) were provided with housing accommodation by the Council alone.
The fall in the birth-rate and in the natural increase of population has continued
since 1921, and it is therefore probable that the average size of the family has continued
to diminish as well as the proportion of children. This results in increasing
the demand for housing accommodation even with a stationary population, but may
also have the effect of reducing overcrowding.
While generally there was a diminution of overcrowding in the peried 1911-21,
there was a slight increase in the worst forms of overcrowding. The applications
received by the Council for housing accommodation show that there is much overcrowding
still existing, including many cases of serious overcrowding. Some of the
serious cases are due to the growth in the size of the family without sufficient opportunity
for expansion of accommodation, it being particularly difficult for families
Carlisle
Street
Scheme
Confirmation
Overcrowding.