View report page

15
That there are about 829 houses in the parish
containing 4,454 persons of the labouring class. This
gives an average population of 5'37 inhabitants per
house. Four of these houses contains three families and
117 two families. The majority of the cottages are let at
rents ranging from 7/- to 9/- per week. There are a
lew let at 6/6 per week and under. Houses occupied by
two families contain four, five or six rooms. Although
these houses are not overcrowded to the extent that would
justify my recommending proceedings, still, they contain
more people than is desirable for consideration of health.
The cottages are not adapted for two families and have
only one kitchen, one wash-house, and one w.c. In my
Report for 1905 I drew the Council's attention to the
desirability, if possible, of making provision for housing
the working classes. Suitable land in the District each
year becomes scarcer and more difficult to obtain at a
reasonable price, hence, unless measures are at once
taken it will hereafter be impossible to make any provision.
There can be little doubt that the over-populating
of the houses referred to, is due to high rents and in my
opinion it would be a great boon for many families who
have to live in lodgings to be able to get a cottage at a
rent which does not absorb one-third of a workman's
wage. There should be no difficulty in providing houses
that would be financially self-supporting and not chargeable
upon the rates.
The Scheme is now under the consideration of the
Local Government Board.
POLLUTION OF A WATERCOURSE.
In the summer a complaint was received from the
Twickenham Urban District Council regarding a
nuisance arising from the discharge of offensive matter
into a ditch on the boundary between the Teddington