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71
HOUSES LET IN LODGINGS.
New by-laws in respect of bouses let in lodgings were
confirmed on March 26th, 1906.
Owing to the exemption clause which provides inter alia
" that a lodging-house shall be exempt from the operation of
the by-laws where the keeper himself resides on the premises,
and the sub-letting by such keeper is to not more than two
lodgers," some two-thirds of the 329 houses that were on the
register are now exempt, and, in my opinion, the exemption
clause is too elastic.
All the houses on the old register were inspected during
the year. Any nuisances found were dealt with under the
Public Health Act.
HOUSES INFESTED WITH VERMIN.
Section 20 of the London County Council (General
Powers) Act, 1904, gives power to the sanitary authority to
require the cleansing of any house infested with vermin, and
provides penalties for default. Notices were served in
respect of 6)3 premises and complied with.
CLEANSING OF PERSONS ACT.
The Cleansing of Persons Act, 1897, empowers every
sanitary authority, " when in their discretion they see fit, to
permit any person who shall apply to the said authority on
the ground that he is infested with vermin to have the use
free of charge of the apparatus (if any) which the authority
possess for cleansing the person and his clothing from
vermin." No special accommodation has been provided in
Fulham for this, but in the few instances in which applications
have been made, use has been made of the reception
house and disinfecting station.
In November last I recommended the Public Health Committee
to improve the accommodation at the shelter, and to
engage the necessary assistance in order that the children