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Palmerston Grove 21
Hotham Road 84
Wandle Bank 33
Grove Road 33
Quicks Road 82
Cowper Road 82
620
House Inspection.—Either as a result of inspections made
on complaint, in consequence of the occurrence of infectious
disease, request by occupiers, and other general inspections,
751 houses were visited. Table III. shows a list of sanitary
works executed at these houses, together with defects remedied
during house to house inspection.
Overcrowding.—I regret I am unable to report any
improvement with respect to overcrowding. Conditions are,
if anything, more unsatisfactory and more houses which were
formerly occupied by one family are now being let off to two,
three and four families at, what must be described as, exorbitant
rents, and with inadequate sanitary arrangements, as
that which was efficient and sufficient for one family is far
from satisfactory now and is the cause of an amount of feeling
by the tenants having to use sanitary and washing conveniences
in common.
Underground Dwellings.—This matter has caused the
Department no little concern during the year in view of the
fact that in consequence of overcrowding a number of persons
have been found to be' occupying rooms in some cases entirely
underground and in others so much below the ground as to
become cellar dwellings as defined by the Public Health Acts.
In one case a person suffering from Tuberculosis was found
to be occupying an underground room, the only means of
ventilation being by a window, which opened directly into
a food shop. In this instance, notice was immediately served,
and the room was closed without the necessity of legal proceedings
being instituted. In another case the basement of
a shop formerly used as a store-room had been partitioned
and made into two rooms which were used as bedrooms.
The walls were damp and the only natural lighting was by
means of a small opening under the shop window. This
part was occupied by two separate families. There are several
other almost similar cases where large houses have been
let out to several families and in each case the basements
have been let as distinct from other portions of the house.
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