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73
ous or injurious to the health of the inmates, whether or not
members of the same family." Unfortunately a precise
definition of an overcrowded house (as to cubic space) is not
given. In prosecutions under this Section it is usual to take
the minimum cubic space per person allowed in common
lodging houses, viz., 300 cubic feet per adult and 150 cubic
feet per child (a by no means generous amount from the point
of view of health) and one has little chance of obtaining a
conviction unless the air-space per person falls short of that
amount. This is what is sometimes spoken of as overcrowding
in a "legal" sense.
In Finchley during the year 1913, 17 such cases were
dealt with. If the housing accommodation in the district is
inadequate they are difficult cases to deal with, as presumably
no one would live under such conditions unless compelled by
force of circumstances, and prosecution may savour of persecution
to the unfortunate persons concerned.
The Need of Working Class Dwellings.
The question of the sufficiency of housing accommodation
for the working classes in this district has lately assumed some
prominence. The rapid development of the district has, of
course, caused a considerable influx of workpeople, and it
would appear that many of them are compelled by the inadequacy
of suitable accommodation to live at a considerable
distance from their place of employment.
There is no doubt that the growth of working-class dwellings
in relation to the growth of the population has been very
small.
I have set out on page 11 some particulars obtained at
the last census, from which it will be seen that in April, 1911,
there were 7,933 families living in 6,946 houses. The number
of separate ratings at that date was 8,729. Ordinary dwellinghouses
are let off in tenements, and very little is done in the
matter of providing additional sanitary accommodation.
Even when this is done the houses are usually structurally
quite unsuitable for the accommodation of more than one
family, and a low standard of cleanliness is the result.