The dwellings of the poor. Report of the Mansion House Council. The year ending December 31st, 1890.

  • Mansion House Council.
Date:
Cassell & Co.,
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The dwellings of the poor. Report of the Mansion House Council. The year ending December 31st, 1890. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

    58/124 (page 48)
    4s Did you find any cellar dwellings while you were visiting the parish ? —We saw a good number of cellars, but we had a difficulty in finding out whether they were occupied as dwellings or not. Is there any inspection of them, as far as you know, in the parish ?— As far as I have been able to ascertain there is no inspection of cellars to see if they are occupied as dwellings. That is an important part of sanitary work in a parish ?—Yes in a parish of this kind I should consider it most important. Mr. Cubitt Nichols : That is the duty of the District Surveyor.—It is one of the things mentioned in the Metropolitan Management Act, that the cellars should be inspected and then notice given to the District Surveyor to take action. Mr. Cubitt Nichols: What section?—Section 103. It is a sanitary matter, and many of the Vestry Inspectors do make inspections for ascertaining whether cellars are occupied as dwellings, and report thereon. I think it is a matter that should be done. Mr. Corrie Grant : Section 103 and section 62 of the subsequent Act, 25 and 26. Are there any other things, Dr. Parkes, which you would suggest are desirable in order to improve the sanitary administration of St. Leonards ?—Well, the adoption of the Tenements Regulation Act. Yes, I thought I had asked you that?—I mentioned that that should be adopted to aid the staff in their sanitary work, by enabling them to get over it with less inspection. There is this advantage in its operation, that it would enable the Vestry to register houses let out in lodgings ; and then there is the advantage which the Housing of the Working Classes Act gives with regard to houses unfit for human habitation, so as not to permit the formation of these large unhealthy areas which have to be dealt with by the County Council, the expense in that case falling entirely on the ratepayers of London, and not at all on the Vestry or the local rates. I think these are the chief recommendations I should make ; and the inspection of cellars ; and the chief thing, the enlargement of the sanitary staff by having four Inspectors instead of two or three. Cross-examined by Mr. Thomas : He did not know that the Tene- ments Regulation Acts had been adopted in this parish. Was not aware that they had been found unworkable. Had not seen a copy of regula- tions of the parish. He was ignorant of the fact that a particular regulation was inserted by the Local Government Board which made them absolutely unworkable in this parish. This clause was : “ Where the rateable value of a house exceeds .£60, and the rent payable by such lodger, exclusive of the charge for the use by such lodger of any furniture exceeds the sum of six shillings per week.” He was of opinion that there must be a great many houses where rooms weie let at less than six shillings. Had inquired of the tenants what their rents were, in the course of this inquiry, and should say the number, as far as he went, was not very great ; but a much larger number were under six shillings than over. He did not find any cellar dwellings occupied—night time was the proper time to look for them. He did not know that the Vestry was the first to put into force Torrens’s Act after it was passed ; or that the parish was one of the first to adopt Cross’s Acts when they were passed. He had not given attention to the past sanitary administration of this parish. He knew, as a fact, that the Medical Officer of Health had reported under the Housing of the Working Classes Act the following areas, which were still under the consideration of the