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11
In the East Ward.—
The houses taken as a whole are now in a very fair sanitary
condition, although parts of the district require frequent visiting.
During the last year hundreds of the better built houses were
found to be using the water for drinking purposes from the
same cistern as that supplying the W.C., and also the sink-pipes
were in direct communication with the drains. The average
number of persons living in each house in the Ward was7.9
per house.
In the West Ward.—
The houses principally occupied by Foreign Jews were very
frequently visited, and I am pleased to say that we find that
these people, thanks to the Jewish Board of Guardians and
other sources, are being taught habits of cleanliness and are
becoming Anglicized with the result that the houses on the whole
are much more cleanly and the premises in a better sanitary
condition than formerly. Average persons per house 7.9.
In the South Ward.—
A large number of houses in this Ward have been inspected
and I think I may say that practically all the houses in this
Ward have a proper separate water supply to their W.C.'s, and
are otherwise in a fair sanitary state. Average number of
persons per house 6*9.
The Centre Ward.—
It is in this Ward that a large proportion of the houses need
our constant vigilance in order to keep free from epidemic disease,
partly owing to the dilapidated state of some of the property
and partly owing to the thoughtlessness, wilfulness, and
dirty habits of some of the tenants; the streets I allude to are
Lomas Buildings, Ocean Street, Knott Street, Duckett Street,
and Cadiz Street, if this area or most of it could be dealt with
as an insanitary one, it would do away with most of your dilapidated
dwellings. It will be remembered that in my previous
Annual Report I pointed to the fact that I had reported Lomas
Buildings as being an insanitary area, and that there was
not enough light nor air to the dwellings. I am at present engaged
preparing the statistics of mortality of this locality, with
a view of bringing it forward under the Housing of the Working
Classes Act if possible. Other parts of the Centre Ward have
been visited and many improvements have been carried out.
Average persons occupying each house, 7.3
The North Ward.—
Most of the property in this Ward is in a very good state;
during the year the worst parts have been inspected, and
sanitary improvements carried out. The number of persons
averaged occupying each house is 7.0.