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16
to abolish cesspools, and drain nine houses in Oakford-place, Goldsmith'srow;
on hearing the case the Magistrate made an order for the work to
he done, and it was executed accordingly.
I summoned another individual, the owner of six houses in Motleystreet,
Curtain-road, to shew cause why the said houses should not be
closed as unfit for human habitation, he did not appear, but closed the
houses, and so the object sought for was gained.
Complaints have been made in several quarters of an insufficient
water supply, in consequence of the water not being allowed to run long
enough to fill the butts and cisterns, and in some houses where there
are three or four families living they do not get as much as they require.
The present mode of intermittent supply also prevents in many instances
the inhabitants of courts and alleys from obtaining a plentiful service
of pure water, in these places the usual receptacle is one butt or cistern
to supply the whole, and these are frequently in a filthy state, their
insides lined with slimy vegetation, so that the water is unfit for human
use; the only remedy for all these evils would be to dispense with butts
and cisterns altogether, and have a constant supply from the mains, in
which case there would be a less waste of water than under the present
system.
The great hindrances to sanitary improvement are such as can only
be dealt with by official interference to a very limited extent, overcrowded
dwellings and poverty usually go hand in hand, and are a prolific
source of disease, and at present from the operation of various causes,
they show a tendency to increase and multiply themselves, accelerated
by the difficulty of procuring house accommodation and the high price
demanded for it, and thus scarcity of houses drives people into places
that are in themselves unfit for habitation, not having the elements of
life and health about them. There are certain sanitary arrangements
necessary for every dwelling to secure a very moderate degree of comfort,
among which are an adequate supply of light, air and water.