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having been remedied and the work being satisfactory, the Council
made an Order under Section 12 of the Housing Act, 1936, determining
the Closing Order.
The dwelling houses Nos. 2, 4 and 6, Hadley Highstone were
. found on inspection to be unfit for human habitation and incapable
of being made fit at a reasonable expense. A full report on the
condition of these three houses was submitted, and, the owner being
in agreement, the tenants were rehoused in Council property, and
Nos. 4 and 6 were demolished. The owner then commenced the
work of reconstruction and reconditioning of No. 2.
The cottage No. 7, Dury Road, Hadley, known as "Thornden
Friars Cottage" and the dwelling house No. 7, Edward Grove,
were also reported as unfit for habitation and incapable of repair
at reasonable expense. Estimates of the cost of repairs and reconditioning
exceeded the estimated value of the property. The Committee
authorised the service of the usual notices of the time and place
when the matter would be considered with a view to the making of
Demolition Orders.
Rodent Control
Two hundred and eighty-nine complaints of rat and mice
infestations were received (309 in 1950). All were dealt with by the
Rodent Operative. 270 dead rats and 50 dead mice were picked up
after poisoning and trapping.
The annual test of 10 per cent, of the sewer manholes, to ascertain
the extent of rat infestation of the sewers, was again undertaken in
accordance with the requirements of the Rodent Control Branch
of the Ministry of Agriculture. Test baits of damp sausage rusk were
laid in 156 manholes, and when inspected two days later there were
14 manholes where the bait had completely disappeared, and in
2 manholes part only of the bait had been consumed.
A treatment of the sewers with sausage rusk and zinc phosphide
was then undertaken after pre-baiting the manholes in the vicinity
of those where the test baits had been taken. 31 manholes were
poison baited with the result that there were 26 manholes where
the poison baits had been partly taken. There were no complete
"takes" of poison bait.
Six months previously the half-yearly treatment had been carried
out, 14 manholes being poison baited after pre-baiting 47 manholes.
13 manholes showed part "takes," in the remaining manhole the bait
was untouched.
These results indicated that the sewers were not seriously infested.
National Assistance Act, 1948. Section 50, Burial or Cremation
of the Dead
There were two funerals under this Act. One, the body of a stillborn
male child found on the Hadley Manor Estate, was buried at a
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