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of the railway; Kingston Road has been taken over by the
Council and is now (February) in course of being made up.
No extension of sewers has been effected during the year.
In accordance with the instructions of the Local Government
Board, requiring information to be given by Medical Officers
of Health on the following subjects, I proceed here to
comply with such instructions: —
Physical features and general character of the district and
general conditions of its population.
The Urban District comprises the larger portion of the town
of Romford and the outlying districts (all in Romford Parish)
known as Collier Row, Squirrels Heath, Romford Common, and
part of Noak Hill. Romford is situate partl[y on clay and
partly on gravel, Collier Row mqstly on clay, Squirrels Heath
on gravel, Romford Common and Noak Hill on clay. The
town itself is the lowest level, the outlying parts of the district
gradually increasing in elevation. The population is of the
usual varied class, resident gentry, many residents engaged
in local businesses and in London, employees of a large brewery
in the town, and working classes, some agricultural, some in
building trades, &c. There are no trades exercising influence
on the public health.
House Accommodation, &c.
There is a decided want of house accommodation for the
working classes, especially in the neighbourhood of Squirrels
Heath. 1 am told that if a cottage becomes vacant in this
district, 10 or 12 applicants are ready to take it. There (is
also a dearth of cottages in Collier Row to a more limited
extent. As far as I am able to ascertain there appears to be
a reluctance on the part of builders to put up cottages for
some reason or other, and' I hape the Legislature will speedily
devise some means by which this undoubted requirement is
effected for the working classes. As far as the sanitary condition
of the existing cottage is concerned, there is not much
to complain of; there are certainly two or three courts in
the town which are objectionable in a sanitary sense, but
these houses are occupied by the poorer amongst the working
class who could not pay the higher rent that a better cottage
would entail. They are periodically examined by the Sanitary
Inspector, and under the " Artizans' Dwelling, &c., Act,"
insanitary conditions are abated as far as possible.