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26
Houses Let in Lodgings.
Bye-laws relating to the above have been in operation in this
District since 1896, but then resulted only in a small number of
houses being registered in consequence of a clause fixing the
rent payable. This clause was eliminated in 1898, when it
became practicable to increase the number of registrations
very considerably as follows :—
1896 16 houses were Registered.
1897 0
1898 0
1899 125
1900 34
175 houses now on Register.
The Vestry, through its Public Health Committee, having
caused all the houses which they deemed most desirable to be
registered then ceased active operations owing to the changes
caused by the London Government Act, 1899. That the bye-laws
were strictly obeyed was proved by surprise visits (between 1 and
4 a.m.), being paid to some of the houses where they were most
likely to be disregarded, with the result that no serious infringements
were found to exist.
Housing of the Working Classes.
During the past year I reported upon what I regarded as the
most insanitary areas in the Parish, they were ten in number,
five being situated on the north and five on the south side of Old
Street. They were visited by Mr. Shirley Murphy, Medical
Officer of the London County Council, and submitted for the consideration
of the Housing Committee of the Council, who decided
to deal with the following four areas under the first part Housing
of the Working Classes Act, viz. : Garden How, Roby Street,
Baltic Street and Honduras Street areas, and suggesting the
Vestry should deal with the other six smaller areas under the
second part of the Act. In due course I made an official
representation to the Council respecting the above four areas and
a public enquiry was held concerning them at the Vestry Hall
on the 29th and 30th of March. These four areas were not, in
my opinion, the most insanitary of the ten, but were, I understood,
selected by the Committee as they afforded the greatest facilities