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abate the nuisance. In one case a further summons
was issued for failing to comply with the abatement
order, and a penalty of 10s. a day for 58 days, or
£29 in all, was imposed upon the owner.
Housing and Town Planning Act, 1919.—In dealing
with defects found on the inspection of dwelling houses
it is the custom to secure the abatement of the specific
nuisances that are enumerated in Section 2 of the
Public Health (London) Act, such as defective W.C.'s,
sinks, pipes, &c., by the service of notices under that
Act; but where the premises have been found in a
generally dilapidated condition, wanting in light or
ventilation, or without adequate facilities for the
cooking and storage of food, notices have been served
under Section 28 of the above Act, which empowers
the local authority to require that a house shall be
made in all respects reasonably fit for human habitation.
During 1920, 389 notices were served under Section
28, of which, at the end of the year, 212 had been
fully and 89 partly complied with.
As the only alternative provided by the Act in the
event of the default of the owner is for the Council to
do the work themselves, and recover the cost from the
owner, a number of houses in which no steps had been
taken to comply with the notices were reported to the
Public Health Committee, who obtained from the
Borough Surveyor estimates of the cost of the work
necessary to comply with the notices. These were
submitted to the Finance Committee with a recommendation
that the necessary funds for carrying out
the work should be provided. The Finance Committee
at first resolved to take no action in the matter,
but on its urgency being pointed out by the Public
Health Committee, the Council determined to carry
out the necessary work themselves in 10 houses, and
this is now in hand.
The position with regard to some of the houses dealt
with under Section 28 is very difficult, as the cost of
the necessary repairs is excessive in proportion to the