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opinion of the experienced Medical Officer to the Council, this is not
one, since the evils of the place are mainly duo to original faults in the
plan of laying out the streets. This area, however, presents many
advantages for the application of Part I. of the Act (which re-enacts,
with amendments, Cross's Acts).
Firstly, its great size and convenient shape make it easy to lay
out, the ground not cutting to waste as in so many cases.
Secondly, its homogeneous character. The houses from end to end
are singularly uniform. It is almost solely a residential quarter—
though the residents are many of them thieves and prostitutes. As
it is not the seat of trade or manufacture there would bo few and
quite unimportant trade interests to compensate. There are but twelve
public-houses in the whole fifteen acres. Even the few public buildings
are so situated as not to interfere with the scheme of new streets. It
is, therefore, plain that the money spent would bo almost wholly
devoted to clearing away the unhealthy abodes, and in letting in
light and air by wide and well-planned streets. Some will object to
streets 40 feet wide. But can the Council sanction on its own property,
streets narrower than its Building Act Committee allows to bo formed
by others ?
6. Some will suggest that the eastern half is worst than the western,
and propose that the Council should pass an improvement scheme for
that part only. The test of figures does not bear out the sense, so far
as any difference can be made out by our Medical Officer, it would
appear that the western half is somewhat the less healthy of the two.
7. The estimated cost of the scheme, £300,000, appears large, but
it is not really so when the magnitude of the work is considered.
Over 100 persons now die every year in the area, who, under average
conditions should not die. This excessive mortality is necessarily
associated with still more excessive sickness, and all its consequent
suffering and poverty. Finally, a high death-rate is demoralising,
and aggravates vice and crime—the great mass of misery is intensified
by its extent, and reacts upon itself.
The scheme, as regards cost, compares very favourably with others
that have been carried out by the late Board. Thus, the Whitechapel and
Limehouse scheme, six acres in extent, cost £151,000; the Islington
scheme, 330 houses, cost £136,000; the Whitechapel (Goulston
Street) scheme, 450 houses, cost £279,000; and the St. Luke's scheme,
550 houses, cost £314,000. The lesser cost of the present scheme is
due to the facts set forth above.
8. There is reason to hope that the work may be carried out at less
than the estimated cost, owing to the provisions of the recent Act,