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21
The Housing of the Working Classes Act
(53 & 54 Vic., Cap. 34).
This important Act repeals Cross's Act, Torrens' Act with its
amendments, the labouring Classes Dwellings Act, and the old
Housing of the Working Classes Act. Part I. deals with unhealthy
areas of sufficient size and importance to bring them under the
control of the London County Council, and is practically Cross's
Act re-enacted with the compensation clauses and is
a modified Torrens', but the duties of the Surveyor as defined under
that Act are abolished.
The Medical Officer is now absolutely required to report to his
Vestry any premises s which, in his opinion, are unfit for human
habitation. On this report, the Vestry must order the owner to
make the premises fit for habitation, and upon his failure to do this
within a given time, may order proceedings to be taken before a
Magistrate for the purpose of a using the premises to be closed.
If the Magistrate is satisfied upon such evidence as is laid before
him that the house in question is unfit for habitation, he may order
it to be closed, and may order compensation to the tenant for the
expenses of removal, and also may tine the owner £20 for permitting
his premises to get into such an unhealthy condition. If the
Vestry fails to act upon the Medical Officer's report, the Local
Government Board may hold an enquiry and may compel the
Vestry to take the necessary proceedings.
If, after the lapse of a certain term of notice after the Magistrate's
order to close, the owner does not either put his premises into a
habitable condition or demolish them, the Vestry may call upon
him to do either the one or the other, and upon his failure to obey,
the Vestry must order demolition, and if this is not carried out
within three months after the service of the order, the Vestry may
pull the house down and sell the materials, paying to the owner
any balance after payment of expenses. Provision is made in the
Act for an appeal to Quarter Sessions against the order.
If works are executed on the order of the Vestry, the owner (if