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the part of small owners?—If you ask me my opinion I should
say decidedly yes. Let me be perfectly clear as to what your
previous question was. I should say that they should share the
responsibility.
17,811. Is it not true that numbers of houses that 25 years
ago were inhabited by one family each living respectably have
since been leased out by the large owners to those who make a
business of subletting?—Great numbers.
17,812. Is it not certain that that must have been known to
the managing agents of those estates if not to the proprietors?—
Most decidedly; it could not be done without their knowledge.
17,813. Is it true that in many cases in your parish where houses
of this kind in a street that once was what is called respectable
have been re-leased out notoriously and avowedly for the purpose
of subletting?—That is what I hear continually.
17,814. Is it true that many of the respectable families that
once gave distributive employment in their various walks of life
to persons in clerkenwell of the labouring class have been
refused tho renewel of their leases in order that the houses might
be let to tenents who make a trade of it?—I have heard of such
cases.
17,815. Where have the persons gone to who once occupied
this middle-class position; have they gone out of the parish?—
Many of them have gone out of the parish, and some, but very
few, have gravitated to other parts of the parish.
17,816. Is not the parish thereby so much the worse?—
Yes.
17,817. Is not the difficulty of getting suitable and proper
persons to serve as members of the local authorities so much
increased?—Most decidedly.
17,818. Who is to blame for all that ? First of all is the Vestry
to blame ? —Certainly not.
17,819. Could the Vestry have prevented any of these evils?
—No.
17,820. Has there not been what some people call the abuse,
but what I will call the inconsiderate use of large property? —
Yes, that is my opinion.
17,821. Clerkenwell has a circumscribed area with a comparatively
poor population; do you think that the fear of adding to
the burden of rebuilding, which must be heavy in a comparatively
small area, and with a dense population with a declining
trade, has been a restraining cause or a cause of caution to the
Vestry in undertaking new works ?—Yes.
17,822. Do you believe that the operation of the Acts which
bear my humble name, the Act of 1868, with the amendments