View report page

161
The following passages from the report of the Committee,
which was approved, will suffice:—
"With regard to the first point, (a) the Committee consider that
it would be futile for the Conference to attempt to lay down any fixed
lines as to how the Act is to be carried out in the several Districts: it is
felt that this must be left to the Authorities themselves to settle, as experience
in the working of the Act will alone point out the best means
to be adopted in the carrying out of the same."
The same view was expressed with reference to (c). The
Committee pointed out that:—
"The Act does not supersede or take the place of the Nuisances
Bemoval Acts and the Sanitary Acts, but simply affords to the Local
Authorities greater facilities for dealing with exceptionally bad and unhealthy
property (inhabited, as it would appear from the title of the
Act, mainly by the working classes) and obstructive buildings, and gives
to the London County Council, as the Central Authority, wider powers
to take action in Parishes where the Authorites shall have failed to carry
out the provisions of the Act."
"At the present stage," it was added, "your Committee feel some
difficulty in reporting upon the second part of the reference, (b) viz., the
relation of the District Authorities to the County Council under the Act,
and content themselves by suggesting that it may be desirable, when
some practical conclusions have been arrived at by the Conference, that
representations should be made to the Council in the hope that that
agreement or common understanding, which is so desirable, upon the
vital points of the Act, may be established between the London County
Council and the District Authorities."
The Conference adopted the following further resolution:—
"That in the opinion of this Conference it is desirable, in all
cases where a Local Authority has obtained a closing order under the
Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890, and they are of opinion that
nothing short of demolition will be satisfactory, that they should (in
order that the owner, occupier, or other person on whom the notice is
served may not be led to incur expenditure in ineffectual repairs), at once
communicate with the owners thereof, informing them that, in the
opinion of the Local Authority, the continuance of the buildings is dangerous
or injurious to the inhabitants of the neighbouring dwelling
houses."
G