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68
HOUSING ACT, 1930.
Improvement Areas, Closing of Parts of Houses (Basement Rooms).
The London County Council gave consideration to the question of amendment of Section
20 of the Housing Act, 1930, so that a Local Authority, in dealing with an improvement
area under Part I. of that Act, should be able to make a closing order in relation to any part
of a building which it deems to be unfit for human habitation, notwithstanding that it may
not be occupied as a separate tenement. Such an amendment would enable individual
rooms and houses in an improvement area to be dealt with, and would conduce to economical
conservation of existing housing accommodation. The Corporation would be prepared to
support the London County Council, provided that the position and powers of the Corporation
as the existing authority for the City of London under the Act are maintained.
STONE CRUSHING.
Certain local authorities in the Greater London area have experienced considerable
difficulty in controlling the nuisance created by stone crushing or mixing, or by such trades
as create a nuisance by emission of dust from the plant used on the premises. Unloading
coal, cement and materials of a similar description have also caused nuisance, and it is doubtful
whether any of these could be dealt with by the powers conferred by the Public Health
(London) Act, 1891.
As a consequence, it has been suggested that powers should be obtained in the next
London County Council (General Powers) Bill, enabling control to be exercised over these
businesses, and although the City have not experienced any of the troubles of some other
areas surrounding it, the Corporation are prepared to support the London County Council
in any legislation which would remove the difficulty.
PIGEONS.
Complaints of the nuisance and damage caused by the congregation of pigeons in the
City have again been numerous, and continual attention has been necessary in order to
attempt to keep the number of these birds within reasonable limits. The practice of feeding
adopted by so many visitors, together with the ideal nesting facilities readily available at
such places as St. Paul's Cathedral and other City Churches, renders the problem of adequate
reduction difficult.
Some 574 birds have been caught by the expert engaged by the Corporation, and all
destroyed under my supervision, with the exception of two ringed birds, which were sent
to the Secretary of the Homing Union for return to their owners.
I should add here that every precaution is taken by those responsible to ensure that
the work is not attended by any element of cruelty.
DISCOVERY OF HUMAN REMAINS.
2, King Edward Street.
57 /59, Charterhouse Street.
78, Newgate Street.
During the course of building operations at each of the above-mentioned premises,
a small quantity of human remains was unearthed. The bones were of great age, and in
each instance bore evidence of a previous disturbance. The customary notification to
the Coroner and the City Police was made, and the remains subsequently reverently reinterred
on the sites.
EXHUMATION AND RE-INTERMENT OF BODIES.
City of London Cemetery.
During the year the bodies of five persons buried in the City of London Cemetery, at
Ilford, have been exhumed and subsequently re-interred in other graves in the same cemetery.
These exhumations are carried out at the request of members of the deceased's family
under licence issued by the Home Secretary, and the work of removal and re-interment
is supervised by one of my representatives. The greatest care is exercised by the Cemetery
Staff and other responsible persons to ensure that the operations are carried out with proper
reverence.