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45
The need for a complete survey of housing conditions
is becoming increasingly apparent. Such a survey
based only on a comparatively small local area, however,
would be of little value. To obtain a true picture it is
essential to take the country as a whole and to carry out
the survey on a similar basis in all districts. To this
end, it is known that the Ministry of Health had in mind a
national form of Housing Survey, but the labours of the subcommittee
of the Central Housing Advisory Council which, it
was understood, was considering the matter had not reached
finality by the end of 1948. Until such a survey has been
made it is not possible to give more than a general idea
of the state of housing and the prevalence of overcrowding.
The repair of houses has been referred to above, but the
question of overcrowding has not been touched upon.
During 1948, ten complaints regarding overcrowding
were received. These were investigated, but where
the complaint was found to be justified, formal action was
impossible owing to the housing shortage. At the same time,
the general impression formed as the result of the intimate
knowledge of housing which is acquired in the course of
normal duties, indicates that there is not a high degree of
overcrowding (within the 1936 Housing Act standard) in the
Borough. It should be emphasized that this is only a
general impression, and the true position can be ascertained
only as the result of a careful survey. It is to be hoped
that before this survey is authorised the present legal
standard of overcrowding will be amended, so as to exclude
living rooms as recognised available sleeping accommodation.
This is extremely important because, although a
place may not be legally overcrowded, to have every room used
as a bedroom by night and some of the rooms used for living
purposes during the day, gives rise to a condition which
must prove extremely nerve racking to the housewife. Furthermore,
when young children form part of the family, it often
means that they cannot have the proper rest and sleep which
is necessary for their healthy upbringing. Again, such a
state of affairs is bad enough when only one family is involved,
but should there be a second family or in-laws' to be housed
in the same house, the patience and tolerance required from
every member of the household needs to be experienced to be
fully understood. It is having such cases in mind, that I have
emphasized above that the opinion on overcrowding is a general
impression, and is not intended to take into account these
very special isolated cases where there is no spare room at
all.
INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF FOOD.
Section E.
(a) MILK SUPPLY.
The number of dairymen registered under the provisions
of the Milk and Dairies Order, 1926 with the Corporation
for the sale of Milk at the end of 1948, was 17.
(b) Designated Milks.
Apart from the Registrations referred to above,
Licences were issued to dairymen, (excluding Producers of
which there is none in Kingston) permitting: the sale of Designated Milks.
The details are as follows:-