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executed rendering them more fit for habitations than they were. The one house
which still remains closed is wedged in between two others and has no back yard
of its own, and no works appear to be possible to effect its improvement.
Preedy's Buildings.— These houses were in a dilapidated state and
requiring thorough repair; they were also in a dangerous condition, and the
owner closed them on receiving the notice from the District Surveyor.
Boundary Street.—The three houses closed here form part of the Bethnal
Green Scheme.
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.
In addition to those cases already reported in my Quarterly Reports, the
following were dealt with in the Fourth Quarter:—
Cossett's Buildings.—This block consists of 20 tenements. There is a
central staircase 3 feet wide, on the landings of which are placed the waterclosets.
These closets were below the level of the landing, the pans were found stopped up
and surrounded by water and sewage which percolated through the walls of the
adjoining houses and flowed down the stairs on to the yard where it lay in pools
among the broken concrete paving. The rooms on the ground floors were quite dark,
those on the second floor not being much better. At the back of each half of the
building was an open space, one being 7 ft. 2 in. by 11 ft. 10 in., the other 8 ft. 8 in.
by 7 ft. 2 in.; in each case this was converted into a well by the back wall having
been built up about 40 ft. high, shutting off both light and air. Ordinary methods
having failed to effect any improvement, the freeholder into whose hands the
building had come, was summoned at Worship Street Police Court, with a view to
having the premises closed. An adjournment was asked for in order that a lawyer
might be instructed on behalf of the owner, and was granted, it being distinctly
stated by the magistrate that it was not for the purpose of affording an opportunity
to carry out works. The time of the magistrates sitting at this Court is so fully
taken up with cases of theft, assaults, &c., that they cannot always hear cases at
the time they are set down for, consequently adjournments from this cause are
numerous, and much time has thus to be spent fruitlessly in attendance at the
Courts. It would be well were there one or more magistrates appointed for
London who would take only such cases as those under the Public Health Acts,
Excise prosecutions, School Board cases and such like, which upset the ordinary
work of our Police Courts. With special magistrates cases could be more carefully
dealt with, because it is evident that with every desire to do justice to both parties,
magistrates cannot carry the details of such cases during the several weeks over
which, an hour or so at a time, the cases are prolonged. During the adjournments
which thus ensued in this case the opportunity was seized to pull down the wall of
one of the air-wells, to repair the waterclosets, to whitewash walls which were wet