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Moira Place and Plumber's Place the Council decided should be
dealt with under Torrens' Act; but as I have reported to your Vestry,
to merely pull down these dwellings under Torrens' Act, would be to
leave two vacant pieces of ground, both of which would be too small
for proper houses or even cottages to be built upon. Recognising that
the Medical Officer of Health was led to examine other houses in the
immeliate neighbourhood of Plumber's Place and Provost Street,
including some old houses in East Road, which bad no back yards,
and no place for proper closet accommodation, nor for dust bins.
These houses are old structures, and much decayed; therefore the
Plumber's Place Area report was extended to make a more efficient
improvement scheme; and Moira Place area was also extended; many
old dccayed houses in Ebeuezer Street, Britannia Street and Provost
Street, being also included in the report so amended, was forwarded
to the London County Council under Cross' Act.
Your Vestry is aware that the question as to the best manner of
procedure to get these houses demolished was referred by the London
County Council to the Home Secretary, and that he appointed an
arbitrator under the 5th Sec. of the Housing of the Working Classes
Act, 1885, to visit these areas, and to hear evidences on the part of the
Central and the Local Authority, with a view to reporting to the
Home Secretary, what in his judgment should be done with these
areas. It was agreed that the dwellings of Plumber's Place and Moira
Place are unfit for habitation and should be demolished; but the
Arbitrator has to report to the Home Secretary whether tbe proceedings
should be taken under Cross' Act, and the Metropolis bear the cost, or
whether the Metropolis shall contribute partly to the cost, or whether
the improvement is to be effected by the Vestry under Torrens' Act.
"INFECTIOUS DISEASE (NOTIFICATION) ACT."
The Infectious Disease Registration Act came into operation in
October of 1889, and up to the 25th March, 1890, 499 cases were
reported by the Medical Attendants, under this Act, to the Sanitary
Department. Of this number 311 were cases of scarlet fever, 83 of
diphtheria, and 18 of typhoid fever.
225 of the infected persons were removed to the Asylums for
isolation and medical treatment. In the previous year only 97 were