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6
The establishment of an additional post for an Assistant Medical Officer
of Health and School Medical Officer will give both these services an impetus
which is sadly needed. In order to cope with the increased work of all
departments the clerical staff will have to be augmented.
In order to co-ordinate the work of the various departments it will be
necessary, in the case of multiple officers, to arrange appointments according
to schedule. This may appear at first to be somewhat irksome to some of the
senior members of the staff, who for so long have been accustomed to perform
their duties with little regard for time. An attempt is being made also to
make group appointments so that mothers will be kept in the Clinic for the
shortest possible time. The success of this arrangement is entirely dependent
on the promptitude with which the patients are dealt with by the officers
concerned.
The housing problem is in a considerably better position in this district
than in most others similarly placed. There is, however, one matter that has
not received sufficient attention, namely, the large family. In order to meet •
this necessity a larger type of house of the four-bedroomed type should be
permitted to be built.
At the time of going to press the Housing Survey under the 1935 Act has
been completed, and the percentage of 1.69 is a very creditable result, thanks
to the continued efforts of the Council.
There is still some old property left which really would be better
demolished, although it has been kept in a reasonable state of repair by the
application of Sections 17 and 19 of the Housing Act, 1930. It appears that
these Sections have been too often invoked instead of clearance.
Edmonton is becoming more and more of a dormitory for Industrial
London, and it is imperative therefore that the matter of housing should
always occupy the front page of the Council's programme.
The population is, however, rapidly approaching saturation point, and
an endeavour should be made to develop the derelict spaces in the vicinity of
the sewage purification plant into playing fields and parks, with perhaps, a
small housing scheme interspersed. In order to accomplish this it will be
necessary to remove the present sewage plant and the antiquated Enfield
Sewage Farm situated in the Edmonton area, by conveying the sewage of those
respective areas to Barking Creek to be dealt with there in the same manner
as the Southern Essex area.