56 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION 



ment of the Government has been established for the better adminis- 

 tration of both Acts. The provisions in regard to the closing and 

 demolition orders, also those in respect to underground rooms used 

 as sleeping places, and the erection of back to back houses, form im- 

 portant features of the Act. 



The original Housing Act requires that schemes under Parts I 

 and II be confirmed by Parliament; but this procedure has now been 

 removed and confirmation of plans will be made by the Local Gov- 

 ernment Board. 



Part II has an important bearing upon rural health conditions, 

 as it refers to the appointment of county medical officers and county 

 public health and housing committees. Section 68, ss. 1 provides 

 that every County Council shall appoint a Medical Officer of Health, 

 whose duties shall be those described by the general order of the 

 Local Government Board. This Medical Officer of Health must de- 

 vote the whole of his time to the duties of his office, and he can be 

 dismissed from office only with the consent of the Local Government 

 Board. Further, it is made imperative upon every County Council 

 to establish a public health and housing committee, and it is the duty 

 of County Councils to promote the formation or extension of building 

 societies by making grants or advances to such societies or by guar- 

 anteeing advances made to them. 



The Local Government Board requires streets intended for car- 

 riage ways to be not less than 36 feet wide, and of this 24 feet must 

 be carriage way. Every street more than 100 feet in length must be 

 constructed as a carriage way. 



No domestic building can be erected unless it has in front of it 

 an open space of 24 feet, measured from the external face of any wall 

 or building it shall front, and at the rear of such building there must 

 be an area of one hundred and fifty square feet, without any build- 

 ing thereon. 



Town Planning ^ ne particular features of the housing problem as 

 and represented by Mr. Vivian are comprised in what he 

 Co-Partnership terms Co-partnership. A concrete example of this idea 

 is to be found in the Co-partnership Tenants Societies, which 

 are registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies Acts 

 and are limited as to liability. The capital is raised in shares 

 of 1 to 10 each, payable in full or by instalments. The Act pro- 

 vides that no person may hold more than 200 in shares; but any 

 amount may be invested as loan stock, a form of preference capital. 

 The Committee or Board of Management of each society is elected 

 by the shareholders, and provision is usually made for the repre- 

 sentation of tenants on it. 



