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66
35 occurred in Limehouse, 42 in Mile End, 190 in St. George's
and 177 in Whitechapel.
No doubt want of housing accommodation and overcrowding
is a difficult problem in most districts, but there are
exceptional circumstances in the Borough of Stepney which
accentuate the overcrowding. The natural increase of the
population—that is the excess of births over deaths—would
lead in that direction when the number of houses in the
district remains practically stationary.
The addition of a large number of immigrants annually
is bound to complicate matters, Poverty is the main cause of
overcrowding, therefore the poorer the immigrants the greater
their tendency to live in rooms inadequate to their number.
These immigrants when they arrive have a tendency to keep
together, and the larger number flock to Stepney and more
particularly to St. George's and Whitechapel.
The Act provides for the closing of a house by a Magistrate's
order if two convictions can be obtained in three months.
This is practically impossible, and the section remains a dead
letter.
Of the 434 cases of overcrowding, 376 were caused by
Jews and 58 by Christians.
In most instances the overcrowding was abated after the
notices were received, but in the following it was necessary to
take proceedings at the Police Court:—
(1) James Donaghue, 27, Perth Street, was ordered to
abate the nuisance and fined £3 and £1 3s. costs.
The following were fined 1s. and £1 7s. costs with order
to abate:—
(2) Solomon Mardoltz, 1, Waterloo Court, St. George's.
(3) Woolf Greeubaum, 4, ,, „
(4) Nathan Klertz, 5, „ „