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54
undertake the reconstruction of the house drains for which the
Council accepted liability for a period of six months. For
this work the tender of Mr. G. Beagley was accepted, and up to
the end of the year, £204 had been paid to him in respect of 13
systems of combined drainage. The sum of £62 10s. was also
paid to owners of houses in respect of drainage work executed
by them in compliance with the notices of the Council in connection
with house drains which were "sewers" within the
meaning of the Metropolis Local Management Act, so that the
total cost to the Council of these "sewers " was £981 10s.
Houses let in lodgings.
In consequence of the difficulties that were experienced in
connection with the definition of the term "landlord" in the
existing by-laws, new by-laws were framed by the late Vestry
and submitted to the Local Government Board, who after
certain amendments, intimated that they were prepared to
sanction them. The Public Health Committee recommended
the Council to adopt the amended by-laws, and to apply to the
Local Government Board for their confirmation, but the Council
refused to adopt them. In the existing by-laws, the
"landlord" is the person by whom the house is let in lodgings,
and as such is responsible for the necessary repairs, and annual
cleansing of the premises, but it has been found that very
frequently he was but a weekly tenant, and was not in such a
financial position as to be able to comply with the requirements
of the Council. In the proposed by-laws as approved by the
Public Health Committee and the Local Government Board,
these duties were imposed upon the "owner" i.e., the person
in receipt of the rack rent of the premises.
Housing of the Working Classes Act.
The following houses were represented under the above Act
as being in a state so injurious or dangerous to health, as to be
unfit for human habitation.
2, Vanston Place Closed by owner.
2, 4, 6, 8, 10 & 12, Bullow Road Closed by owner,
since repaired and
re-opened.