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101
Of the Council's 9 houses in Gossage, Park, and Parkdale
Roads, which are under the care of the Health Committee,
6 were occupied throughout the year; Nos. .5, 7, and 9,
Gossage Road were empty for periods of 3, 2, and 2 weeks,
respectively.
On June 5th, 1911, Nos. 15, 17, and 19, Gossage Road,
were taken over by the Libraries Committee.
HOUSES REGISTERED UNDER THE BY-LAWS.
32. Existing By-laws and History of Proposed New By-laws.
Woolwich is in an anomalous position as regards by-laws for
houses let in lodgings. One of the first requirements made of
Metropolitan Borough Councils after their establishment
under the Local Government Act, was the preparation of a
code of by-laws for each Borough. On the Woolwich Borough
Council acute differences existed as to the form such by-laws
should take, and the matter was under discussion for several
years. Twice a draft code was submitted to the Local
Government Board, but on each occasion the Board required
certain alterations, and no final agreement between the
Board and the Council was arrived at. The matter has now
been in abeyance for several years. Meanwhile three different
sets of by-laws are in existence, viz., one in each parish.
Those in Woolwich and Plumstead parishes are much alike,
but those in Eltham only permit such houses to be registered
as have a rent below a certain limit. The limit is such as to
render the by-laws nugatory, and no houses have ever been
registered in Eltham. The Woolwich and Plumstead bylaws
are found useful for dealing with dirty tenants. Owing,
however, to the "landlord" being made responsible for structural
and other matters not under the control of the tenant,
and owing to a legal decision having established that "the