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12ft
"But if it is difficult to obtain speedy abatement of a
' nuisance ' arising from the insanitary condition of the dwelling,
what shall be said on the subject of ' Overcrowding ' ? of which,
doubtless, there are thousands of cases in London alone at
the present moment. Here again it is generally believed that
the nuisance authority are largely responsible for an admitted
evil—in other words that the law confers all necessary powers,
but that administration is defective. But is it so ? What are
the main causes of overcrowding ? Poverty and High Rents.
Over these conditions the local authority have no power. The
landlord is blamed for permitting overcrowding, as if he
benefited by it. But again I ask, Is it so ? Often enough he is
rather to be pitied than blamed, whether he be the non-resident
owner of a tenement house or the humble occupier of a house let
in lodgings, which, in order that the rent may be paid, must be
largely sub-let, the latter being, in my experience, the far more
common case. Take a typical example: Application for a single
room is made by a couple who declare that they have no family,
or, it may be, only one or two children. They are accepted as
tenants upon that assurance, but no sooner are they in possession
than a whole troop of children turn up, and ' overcrowding' is
established. It may be said that all that the landlord has to do,
as soon as he discovers the cheat—if he is non-resident it may be
long before he does—is to serve a notice to quit. That is easy
to do, but it is not always easy to get the notice attended to.
The provisions of the law are merciful, and the lower classes of
the poor frequently avail themselves of the opportunities for delay
which it affords. Assume that the notice to quit is unheeded—
and oftentimes it is not given till the rent is long in arrear, to
the no inconsiderable loss of the landlord, owner or occupier,
as the case may be:—he must then go warily to work, and he
will if he knows his business. Nothing remains but to enforce
the law of ejectment for the ' recovery of possession of tenements
after determination of tenancy' (1 and 2 Vict., cap. 74). A printed
form of ' Directions to be observed by persons applying for the
police magistrate's assistance to eject tenants paying a less rent