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44
1919
1912, 167 between July 1st, 1912 and June 39th, 1913 and 131
between July 1st, 1913 and June 30th, 1914.
The district was certainly not overbuilt in the intercensal
period 1901-1911. Apart from the direct evidence of personal
observation, certain figures may be give n as additional evidence.
The average number of empty houses in any district in normal
times varies from 5 to 10 per cent.
At the Census of 1901, there were in Acton 454 empty houses
or 7.4 per cent, in 1911, this figure was 490 or 5.2 per cent. At the
present time, and for the last 3 years, an empty house of average
size is unknown.
Occasionally, one sees a house of 10 to 14 rooms for sale, but
not to let. During spring-cleaning, if the curtains are removed and
the blinds drawn, it is necessary to put up a notice that the house is
not to let, otherwise, the time of neighbours will be taken up in
answering inquiries if the house is to be let.
The Treasurer has kindly supplied me with the percentage of
rate irrecoverable since 1909. Most of the irrecoverable rate in
Acton is due to empty houses. The following table gives the percentage
irrecoverable on the district rate:—
Year ending March 31st. Percentage Amount
1909 8.41
1910 7.40
1911 6.40
1912 5.34
1913 4.54
1914 4-23
1915 3.20
1916 3.14
1917 2.83
1918 2.60
1919 1.81
1920 1.44
Apart from overcrowding, the absence of empty houses is a
matter of great importance to the community, for without a certain
percentage of empty houses, it is impossible to remove to another
house, because the existing one is unsuitable or because the existing
one required such substantial repair as to entail removal of the
tenant.