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31
insurance. It does not follow that the net annual value is the rateable
value, as determined by the rating authorities; but the magistrates
generally seem to regard the rateable value as prima facie evidence of
what the net annual value is.
ARTIZANS' AND LABOURERS' DWELLINGS IMPROVEMENT
ACTS.
UNHEALTHY AREAS
and
HOUSES UNFIT FOR HUMAN OCCUPATION.
In July, a letter from the Home Office urged the expediency of
putting into early operation, wherever necessary, the provisions of the
Artizans' and Labourers' Dwellings Improvement Acts, 1875 to 1882,
and suggesting tho Medical Officer should be directed to examine the
district under his charge, and make official representation to the
Metropolitan Board of Works concerning all such areas as he should
consider to be unhealthy, with a view that the Metropolitan Board, if
they should be of opinion that those areas ought to be dealt with under
the above-mentioned Acts, might be able to make them the subject of
independent schemes, to be confirmed by Parliament in the course of
the next Session.
On the suggestion of the Sanitary Committee, a Special Committee,
consisting of the Members of the Works and Sanitary Committees, was
appointed to confer with the Medical Officer as to the proposed
representations. The Special Committee, after visiting various parts
of the Parish, reported that though they found a large number of
houses in an extremely unsatisfactory condition, they had come to
the conclusion that there was no area which, if represented to the
Metropolitan Board as an unhealthy area, would be deemed by that
Board to come within the scope of the Acts. The Medical Officer
concurred in the view of the Special Committee, whose report was
adopted by the Vestry.
The Medical Officer presented a report under the Acts of premises
in a condition " dangerous to health so as to be unfit for human
habitation."
The report, which was lengthy, was printed, and a copy furnished
to each Member of the Vestry.