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60
facts in ray last Annual Report which are evidence of the great
amount of work done to improve both the personal and housing
conditions of the people, or at the least to render the homes they
live in sanitary until others can be built.
It is suggested that unless a certain course is taken "the
alternative is to abandon the struggle for improvement altogether !"
Never! It may admittedly be a struggle, but at least it is one
in which Southwark is holding its own and is actually, though
slowly, gaining ground.
Southwark needs no outside criticism to spur on its Council and
Officers to carry on their work, as their anxiety and desire to benefit
their own inhabitants is quite as keen as that of outside bodies,
while the three housing schemes already in hand show that considerable
progress is being made.
In conclusion, the Westminster Report makes no suggestion
that is helpful ; there are no vacant sites available for building
dwelling houses, all Southwark has been built over for many years.
To rebuild to house more people or even the same number of
people, is not relieving the actual overcrowding as measured by the
number of persons to the acre.
The whole situation may be summed up iu the facts that there
are too many people in Southwark and no room for expansion.
To rebuild, existing property would have to be demolished, but
the new buildings would not accommodate any more than the persons
displaced, if as many. The property would improve, but overcrowding
would still exist.
Meanwhile, all efforts are being made to keep the existing
property in as good sanitary repair as possible.
Yours faithfully,
HORACE WILSON,
Medical Ojfficcr of Health.
REPORT ON THE PROPERTIES ADJACENT TO LOCK SQUARE.
During the year I inspected these properties with a view to tne
possibilities of a Reconstruction Scheme under Section 37 (b) Part 2 of
the Housing Act, 1925, or Part 3, Section 58 (Sub-Section a).