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15
Towards the end of the year the number of Notices receiving
attention by the Surveyor showed a marked drop, which, in my
opinion, was due to the fact that owners realised that the Council
were determined to have all insanitary conditions remedied, and
they found it would be much cheaper to get the work done themselves
than through the Surveyor's Department.
During the war there was very little work done in the way
of repairs and re-decorations to houses, and upon a house-to-house
inspection the defects found were usually fairly extensive, as will
be seen from the following list, which enumerates the principal
defects:—
Defective and insufficient yard paving.
Insanitary conditions of forecourt.
Defective drains.
Defective soil pipe and ventilating shaft.
Defective W.C. pan and trap, flushing apparatus and
seat.
Insanitary sink, or want of sink and water supply
to same.
Defective or untrapped sink waste pipe.
Want of a sufficient food cupboard.
Defective, or want of, cover to drinking water cistern.
Insanitary condition of ground beneath floors.
Insufficient ventilation under ground floors.
Dampness, caused by defective roofs, rain water
pipes and guttering, and want of damp-proof
courses.
Defective plastering.
Dirty walls and ceilings.
Defective flooring.
Defective kitchen range or fire grate.
Defective washing copper.
Under this Section, which requires any house suitable for
occupation by persons of the working classes to be in all respects
reasonably fit for human habitation, the Council decided to adhere
to the standard of fitness, as laid down in the Manual of Unfit
Houses, Volume 1, issued by the Ministry of Health, and in all
cases of houses or tenements which were not provided with sinks
and food cupboards, such were required, and in addition, suitable
coal storage cupboards were asked for. In one or two instances,
owners have objected to the provision of these, but after talking
the matter over with them, they have agreed to the Council's
demands.