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In the former the front basement room is used as a kitchen, and the back basement room as a
washhouse, having three fixed basins with cold water laid on and two washing-tubs, the rest of the
house being used as dormitories furnished with iron bedsteads, shaving or straw mattresses and
flock palliasses.
In the latter the basements of both houses are used as kitchens, and are dark and unsuitable,
the cellars in the back area are used as washhouses having six fixed basins with cold water laid on and
four washing-tubs, and the upper part of the houses as dormitories furnished with iron bedsteads,
shaving or straw mattresses and flock palliasses.
In both these houses the greater proportion of the inmates are "regulars," some are engaged in
selling matches and flowers, some in tailoring, some are employed in Covent-garden market. The
former house was, I was told, always full, some dozen women being turned away every night for want
of accommodation.
In the latter in winter many beds are often empty owing to the inability of persons of the class
frequenting it in summer to pay for their beds, and thus being driven into the workhouse. Exceptionally,
but only exceptionally, a woman with a child is received into these houses.
Adjoining the former house is a house of which the lodging house-keeper is owner, and where
she lets four furnished rooms at 3s. 6d. each weekly. This keeper told me that for want of room she turns
away "loads of women with children." These are often accompanied by their husbands, but she
makes it a rule never to receive men.
On the opposite side of the court to the latter house is another house owned by the keeper, who
occupies the lower part of it herself and lets the five upper rooms as furnished lodgings, charging 1s. per
night for the front room and l0d. for the back room. I inspected both these houses, and the latter
contained especially dingy rooms.
Paddington.—There is only one common lodging-house in this district occupied by women;
men are not received.
The house is an agency for domestic servants, and only women of this class are received into
it. It is registered for 34 lodgers. The charges are 3s. per week in dormitories containing several
beds where two persons occupy the same bed, and 3s. 6d. when each occupies a separate bed, 5s. per
week is charged for a separate room. The kitchen is a somewhat dark basement room. The waterclosets
are situated on the stairs, no special lavatory is provided, but washhand-stands are provided
in the dormitories.
Chelsea (detached).— There is one house in this part of Chelsea occupied by women, and
doubles are also received. The charges are as follows—
Single women. Doubles.
15 4d. 15 8d.
This is an ordinary nine-roomed house, some of the rooms being divided by wooden partitions into
cubicles for the doubles, the other rooms being devoted to singles and doubles. The bedsteads are
iron, with flock beds and straw mattresses. The kitchen is situated in the back garden, and is used
by both sexes. A separate water-closet is provided in the garden for the men and for the women.
For washing purposes a shed in the garden contains four fixed basins with cold water laid on and two
washing-tubs ; this is used by both sexes.
The people who resort to this house are mostly labourers, laundry women, and hawkers.
Children are received when accompanied by parents, but not otherwise. The house is often full in
winter, but in summer is more than half empty.

These houses are all of the kind constructed originally for the accommodation of a single family.
The standard of cleanliness maintained generally is not a high one. The inmates consist for the most
part of lodgers who are called "regulars" and comprise laundry women, hawkers, and flower and match
sellers; in two houses men employed in the construction of a neighbouring railway were also resident.
In one house it was said effort was made to exclude women of the unfortunate class, and in one I was
told that girls under 18 years of age were not received. Children without parents generally were
excluded. The houses are as a rule less occupied in the summer than winter, especially during the
hopping season. At the time of inspection of some of the houses in June some 25 to 30 per cent. of
the beds had not been occupied the previous night. At the time of a later inspection in September
the houses visited were much fuller.
One keeper has neighbouring houses which he lets in furnished lodgings, charging for each of
twenty rooms 3s. 6d., 4s. or 4s. 6d. per week, according to its size. Another keeper has also two
houses which he lets in a similar manner. A third has, at the rear of his lodging-house, an outbuilding