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construction of the streets and houses is necessary, large powers are conferred in
the City of London on the Commissioners of Sewers, and in the remainder of
the metropolis on the County Council of London, for the carrying out of an
improvement scheme for the unhealthy area under the Artizans and Labourers
Dwellings Improvement Acts, 1875 to 1885, commonly known as Cross's Acts.
In any parish or district in the metropolis outside the City of London in which
such a scheme is necessary, it is the duty of the Medical Officer of Health of the
Vestry or the District Board to bring the facts of the case to the notice of the
County Council, by means of an official representation, under section 3 of
the Artizans' and Labourers' Dwellings Improvement Act, 1875.
" In addition to these powers, section .35 of the Sanitary Act, 1866, as
amended by section 47 of the Sanitary Law Amendment Act, 1874, which enactments
were put in force by the Local Government Board in December, 1883, in
all the districts of the metropolis in which they were not previously in operation
enables the local authorities of the metropolis to make regulations enforceable
by penalties for the registration and inspection of houses let in lodgings or
occupied by members of more than one family, for the prevention of overcrowding
therein, and for securing their being kept in a clean and wholesome
state.
" It will be seen from the above statement that the local authorities have
been empowered to take the necessary proceedings to prevent any premises in
their district unfit for human habitation from being inhabited; to prevent any
house in their district from being overcrowded in such a manner as to be
prejudicial to the health of the inmates; and to secure the demolition or improvement
of buildings which are either themselves unfit for human habitation,
or which, by reason of their situation, are the cause of other buildings being
rendered insanitary. These large powers have been intrusted to the local
authority in order that they may be exercised for the protection of the poor
who are unable themselves for the most part to enforce the observance of the
laws relating to public health by their landlords. I have most urgently to
impress on the local authority the grave responsibility which they incur if they
neglect the duty which has been cast upon them by the Legislature, of taking
the necessary steps to insure that the law in relation to each of the above matters
shall be duly enforced iu their district.
" I am, Sir,
" Your obedient Servant,
" (Signed) CHAS. T. RITCHIE.
" The Clerk of the Local Authority."
At the request of the Works, Sanitary, and General Purposes
Committee, I submitted a report to your Vestry on the subjects
dealt with in the above important communication, in which I
endeavoured, at very short notice, to state the difficulties experienced
by the sanitary authority in dealing with the Housing of