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17
Vestry Hall, Clerkenwell,
58, Rosoman Street, E.C.,
March 20th, 1884.
DWELLINGS IN CROWDED DISTRICTS.
Sir,
At the last meeting of this Vestry attention was called to the
speech made by you in the House of Commons on the 4th instant, of
which the report in the Times of the 5th instant is as follows:—" He
was sorry to say in Clerkenwell the two joint dictators of the Parish,
who had control of the Vestry and its leading Committees, one of
them being Chairman of the principal Committee, were the largest
owners in the whole district of Clerkenwell of bad or doubtful property.
The Royal Commission would have, perhaps, to go beyond
the useful labours of the Committee of 1880, and make an inquiry
into the question from this point of view; whether, in fact, it was not
the case that many leading members of local authorities were large
owners of property of this description. In Clerkenwell, there were
14 house-farmers on the Vestry, and 12 publicans who seemed to work
very much with them, and that state of things had undoubtedly led
to insufficient care being taken by the Vestry for the condition of that
Parish."
It was thought that these observations reflected upon the Vestry as
the local authority, and characterised Clerkenwell as a retrograde
Parish, or, at least, one which made no progress in a sanitary point of
view, in consequence of the composition of its representative body. I
was, therefore, directed to send you a general statement and information
upon the present sanitary condition of Clerkenwell, as compared
with that of some years ago.
I have the honour, accordingly, to annex some extracts from
reports of our Medical Officer of Health (Dr. Griffith), made from
time to time, which, it is hoped, will show that Clerkenwell, so far
from being a non-progressive and one of the worst Parishes in the
metropolis, is one of the best, if not the best in the metropolis in a
sanitary point of view.
I also annex a print of a special report of the Medical Officer of
Health, dated 4th ult., as showing the difficulties which owners of
houses let out in tenements, or occupied by more than one family,
experience in regard to the premises being kept in proper order.
The following is a copy of a return made to the Metropolitan Board
some time ago of works carried out by the Vestry since its formation
in 1856 to 25th of March, 1881:—Total length of new sewers constructed
from 1st of January, 1856, to 25th of March, 1881, 1 mile,
1,736 yards; total cost of same, £3,122 14s. 7d.; total cost of other
sanitary works executed by the Vestry, £24,691 17s.; total superficial