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51
House to House Inspection.
The amount of routine inspection of houses in any one district done during
the year was very small. The total, 264, resulted in the discovery of 639
defects, and the issue of 286 notices (Intimations, 264; Statutory Notices, 22).
Prosecution followed in one case only.
Overcrowding.
The number of dwelling rooms found to be overcrowded during 1909
was 240. This is, of course, only a comparatively small fraction of the
number of cases investigated regarding which complaint had been received
with regard to overcrowding. Many complaints were, as usual, anonymous, and
many were unfounded. Notices were served in each of the 240 undoubted cases
and reduction of the overcrowding followed without the necessity for a
prosecution arising.
Underground Rooms.
The number of illegal occupations of such premises dealt with was 163.
In all of these cases notices were served, and, with the exception of one,
in which the owner was prosecuted, led to closure of the rooms complained of or
to their being let only in conjunction with rooms on other floors.
The Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act, 1909, deals with the habitual
occupation of rooms underground as sleeping rooms, and contains a section
which comes into force in July, 1910, which has for its object the prevention of
this.
Customs and Inland Revenue Acts.
Six certificates were granted during the year for exemption or reduction
of inhabited house duty, in accordance with the provisions of the Customs and
Inlaid Revenue Acts, in respect of the premises mentioned below, the number
of tenements covered in the certificates being 55.
One certificate covering two tenements was refused, the owner failing to
carry out certain amendments to the sanitar) fittings, and the premises being,
so far as their sanitary accommodation and condition was concerned, unsuitable.
In one other case, comprising four tenements, the granting of the certificate
was deferred pending the relaying of the drains which were found to be in a very
defective condition. The sanitary fittings were also defective and required
renewing thoughout. This case is referred to in the list of the proceedings
for the abatement of nuisances on page 58.