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7
Chief Occupations of Inhabitants.—West Ham is a
typical industrial Borough. Large factories abound on the river
frontages west and south, railway works employing thousands of
regular hands are located in the north, and large docks the staple
support of casual labour intersect the south. The rest of the
area may be said to form the dormitory of artizans, clerks, and others,
whose daily work is carried on in London, together with the local
shops and retail businesses necessary for the welfare of their families.
There is no particular industry calculated to specially affect the
public health.
Housing Accommodation.—The dedicated roads of the
Borough extend to 123¾ miles, some four-fifths of which are at least
40ft. wide, and are bordered by houses of two storeys. Originally
constructed as self-contained houses, they have, in large measure, been
adapted by alterations and additions for the accommodation of two
families, while in recent years the flat system has been generally
adopted in developing the newer estates. Very few blocks of
dwellings of three or more storeys exist, and the unsatisfactory
character of these give rise to the need for constant supervision and
action by the Sanitary Staff. The erection of all new buildings are
supervised by Building Inspectors of the Borough Engineer's
Department.
At the census in 1901 there were 41,368 inhabited houses in the
Borough, and a house to-house visitation of these is regularly carried
out. During the year 1909 the number of dwelling-houses inspected
was 14,101 while, in addition, 3,333 were visited on account of
infectious disease.
Under the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890, six houses
(Nos. 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, High Street, Stratford) were reported by
the Medical Officer of Health as being in a state so dangerous to
health as to be unfit for human habitation; only two of the houses
were occupied. On 15th December Closing Orders were made by the