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2. Remedy of Defects during the year
without service of formal notices:—
Number of defective dwelling-houses rendered fit in consequence
of informal action by the Local Authority
or their officers 184
3. Action under Statutory Powers during the year:—
(a) Proceedings under sections 9, 10 and 16 of the Housing
Act, 1936:
(1) Number of dwelling-houses in respect of which notices
were served requiring repairs 17
(2) Number of dwelling-houses which were rendered fit
after service of formal notices:
(a) By owners 16
(b) By Local Authority in default of owners 1
(b) Proceedings under Public Health Acts:—
(1) Number of dwelling-houses in respect of which notices
were served requiring defects to be remedied 23
(2) Number of dwelling-houses in which defects were
remedied after service of formal notices:
(a) By owners 23
(b) By Local Authority in default of owners Nil
(c) Proceedings under sections 11 and 13 of the Housing
Act, 1936:—
(1) Number of dwelling-houses in respect of which
Demolition Orders were made 7
(2) Number of dwelling-houses demolished in pursuance
of Demolition Orders 6
Housing Act, 1936—Part IV—Overcrowding
Sixty-two inspections were made of suspected cases of overcrowding
It might be appropriate here to draw attention to the fact that in the majority
of the cases investigated it was found that overcrowding, as defined in the
Housing Act, did not exist.
Investigation of these alleged cases of overcrowding again brings to one's
notice the conditions arising from the shortage of housing accommodation.
As has already been stated, no actual overcrowding existed, but very
cramped conditions prevailed owing to the fact that two or more families
were occupying a house normally accommodating one family. Such conditions
are fully appreciated by Public Health officials and other welfare
workers, but unfortunately the general masses of the population do not
realise the extent to which houses formerly occupied by one family now
22