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25
Overcrowding
and Housing
of the Working
Classes.
The density of the population on the South side of the river,
and the difficulty of obtaining suitable houses for the working classes,
induced the Vestry of Bermondsey to convene a Conference
on the subject of overcrowding and on the housing
of the working classes. The Vestry accordingly appointed
delegates to attend the Conference, which was held on the 15th July,
1898, at the Bermondsey Town Hall, when various resolutions were
adopted calling upon the London County Council to exercise their
power under the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890, to
provide dwellings within the County of London where required, and
suggesting certain alterations of the law and of financial arrangements
to enable Local Authorities also to erect municipal dwellings.
The resolutions came before the Yestry on the 29th November,
when the Vestry expressed its concurrence with the former proposal,
and also with proposals that Local Authorities should be allowed to
erect and permanently manage dwellings under Part I, Section 12 (5)
of the Housing of the Working Classes Act, and that the period of
borrowing should be extended to one hundred years, but disagreed
with the proposals to enable Metropolitan Local Authorities to erect
municipal dwellings under part 3 of the Act.
In February, 1898, a letter was received from the St. Saviour's
Board of Guardians, drawing attention to the overcrowding within
the area of the Union. The matter received the consideration of the
Public Health Committee who directed a reply to be sent to the effect
that the subject was continually receiving attention by the Committee
and the Sanitary Staff, and they felt that every effort was being made
to comply with the provisions of the Act for the abatement of overcrowding
in the parish, at the same time no tangible suggestion had
been laid before the Committee that could be recommended for
adoption.
Condensed
Separated
Milk.
At the suggestion of the Vestry of Camberwell, the Yestry passed
resolutions on the 20th September, 1898, urging the Government to
introduce a Bill requiring persons manufacturing or
importing condensed milk to state the quantity necessary
to obtain the full benefit of new English milk. This
resolution, which was adopted by a large number of Authorities