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in their area, than to delay measuring until the owner asked for the information.
As this work had to be completed within less than six months, it became
necessary to appoint temporary staff for this purpose.
The estimated number of "dwellings" in the Borough is in round figures,
40,000. After deducting from this total (a) the number of owner-occupied houses,
approximately 12,500; (6) the number of dwellings measured the previous year 3,400;
and (c) the number of Council houses for which plans are available, 3,600; it was
estimated that some 20,000 "dwellings" would require to be measured. It was
subsequently found necessary to measure a proportion of the owner-occupied houses
which had been sub-let.
In dealing with this problem the Council took the view that the primary responsibility
for the correct measuring of rooms in each district should rest on the district
sanitary inspector, that he should be supplied with such temporary assistance as
was necessary, in order that the work might be completed within the specified
period, and that such clerical work as could be done in the office should be under
the immediate supervision of a senior clerk. To enable the district inspectors to
concentrate on this work and to free them from routine duties, three temporary
sanitary inspectors were appointed, and these were responsible for the districts
of the inspectors supervising the measuring of rooms. Each district inspector
was on an average off his district for two months.
The other staff engaged included six temporary survey assistants, nine temporary
assistants to these and to the inspectors ; and four temporary clerks. A measuring
unit consisted of one regular district inspector, two survey assistants, three assistants,
and one clerk. Three such units were employed for the period. In this way the
inspector could supervise the work of his team and they could consult him at once
on any difficulties they encountered. Clerks started preparing the necessary cards
on the 13th July, 1936, the measuring units began work on the 4th August, and
except for clearing up, which was considerable, and the measuring of the sub-let
owner-occupied houses, the work of measuring was completed at the end of the year.
The number of " permitted number " notices supplied to landlords was 15,651.
A certain amount of information is given in the statutory notice which must
be inserted in rent books, but this notice could not by its very nature deal with
difficult points which may arise. To overcome any misunderstanding, a pamphlet
was prepared covering the chief points of the overcrowding code and explaining
fully points on which difficulty might arise. One of these pamphlets was enclosed
with each notice to the occupier of intention to measure, and with each series of
" permitted number " notices to owners and agents.