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14
HOUSING AND SANITARY ADMINISTRATION.
Mr. W. E. Balchin, who was appointed Sanitary
Inspector in April, 1920, has proved a very capable
and energetic officer, and I am glad to have this
opportunity of expressing my appreciation of his useful
and painstaking work. Much has been done during
the past year to improve the sanitary condition of the
District. Unfortunately through lack of Housing
Accommodation, a considerable amount of overcrowding
still exists, chiefly in the working class areas of
the district, but a great deal has been accomplished
during the past year, in getting some of the most unsatisfactory
premises into good sanitary condition.
There is still much work of this kind waiting to be
done, but a satisfactory start has been made in clearing
off the arrears which had accumulated during the War
years. The general character of the defects still existing
are delapidations due to the neglect of periodical
repair during these years. They may be summarised
as follows:—
(1) Broken and defective yard surfaces, allowing
water to stand and preventing proper cleansing.
(2) Defective roofing, rainwater pipes, and
gutters, causing dampness.
(3) Defective pointing of outside walls, causing
dampness.
(4) Defective damp-proof courses.
(5) Defective internal plaster (walls and ceilings),
and dirty and loose wall papers.
(6) Broken and cracked floor boards and defective
hearths.
(7) Stairs in bad repair, broken handrails and
balusters.
(8) Imperfect windows allowing rain to enter, and
not allowing of free opening.
(9) Broken or defective grates or ranges.
A list of these defective houses is available. They
are situate for the most part in Shelley, Milton,
Wordsworth, and Burns Roads, Ferndale Terrace,
Cecil, Canning and Herga Roads, and parts of Peel
Road contiguous to the High Street.