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30
A public mortuary situated in the disused burial ground of the Parish Church of St.
Mary, has been erected by the Vestry for the use of the Parish. It contains no separate
accommodation for bodies of persons dead of infectious disease.
From what has been said it will be seen that during recent years the population and
houses cf Rotherhithe have greatly increased, that the district is now, as heretofore,
burdened with large numbers of persons largely dependent upon the action of the Sanitary
Authority for the maintenance of their dwellings in condition fit for habitation, and that
the administration has not kept pace with the increased demand made upon it by the
development of the Parish. It is in fact no exaggeration to say that the results of lax
administration abound in Rotherhithe, and especially in houses occupied by poor persons.
The duties of the staff employed by the Vestry for the remedy of conditions which
have been described, need careful organisation to render their operation as effective as
possible. At the present time, however, there is a complete absence of any system
which would ensure that unhealthy conditions, becoming known to the Vestry, are
remedied. In the first place, therefore, we would recommend that the work of the
officers of the sanitary department should be placed under the direction of the Medical
Officer of Health, and that a book should be kept in which should be recorded with the
date, each proceeding taken by the authority, whether the issue of notice or summons, and
the result.
Secondly, a broader view should be taken of the conditions which the Vestry as a
sanitary authority should control. As far as could be judged from such records as were
available, the notices hitherto issued, have not sufficiently particularised many conditions
which are prejudicial to health, and which come within the scope of the Metropolis Local
Management, the Nuisance Removal, and the Sanitary Acts. Further, no advantage
has been taken of the powers possessed by the Vestry under the Artizans' and Labourers'
Dwellings Act, 1866, for enforcing structural alterations or repairs of houses in accordance
with the terms of specifications, such as should have been prepared by their surveyor;
or for requiring the demolition of houses brought to their notice as not capable of being
made fit for human habitation. The contention of the Vestry, that in Rotherhithe many
houses, to which this Act is applicable, are owned by persons of limited means, unable to
bear the expense of such improvements, cannot be entertained as affording reason for the
Vestry to hesitate to exercise powers necessary in the health interests of the inhabitants.
In considering the measures which must be adopted for the improvement of many
houses in Rotherhithe, we are convinced that procedure under this Act is an absolute
necessity.
In regard to houses dilapidated, so as to render them unfit for use or habitation and
concerning which the Officer of Health is unable to certify that they are "in a condition or
state dangerous to health," the Vestry should at once draw the attention of the Metropolitan
Board of Works, or their successors, the London County Council, to their
circumstances.
For other houses, the provisions of the Metropolis Local Management Acts, Nuisance
Removal Acts, and Sanitary Acts will suffice, and we would desire especially to urge the
registration of houses let in lodgings, and the enforcement of regulations for maintaining
them in wholesome condition.
The statutory duty devolves upon the Vestry under the Nuisance Removal Act, to
make from time to time, either by itself or its officers, inspection of the district with a view
to ascertaining what nuisances exist calling for abatement, and for the maintenance of the
district in proper sanitary condition, systematic and periodic house-to-house inspection by
the officers of the Vestry, is urgently needed.
In considering the staff which the Vestry require for this purpose, it is necessary to
bear in mind the character and condition of the houses in Rotherhithe, the nature of the
population, and the length of roads to be traversed (17 miles).
In this connection, we may refer to one fact already stated, that 4,660 houses of the
total 5,531 houses in the Parish, have a ratable value not exceeding £10 a year; and