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the real number of homeless women this year was as much as 200 in excess of last year's figures,
though, as will bo mentioned later in this report, the issue of the tickets appears to have had a
disturbing influence upon the paying inmates of common lodging houses, and this influence has
been felt even in the threepenny Salvation Army shelter for women, which at one time had never
a vacant bed, but which now has from 50 to 80 beds empty every night.
Whilst referring to the casual wards I might mention that I caused some inquiry to be made
with the object of discovering if possible what became of the men who were refused admission to
two of the most popular wards, viz.:—the City Casual Ward, Thavies Inn, and the Marylebone
Casual Ward. At the former place, at 5 o'clock on the evening of 10th February, 7 women and
50 men were waiting for admission. All the women and about 20 of the men were admitted. The
remainder scattered very quickly, some to get to the Marylebone Casual Ward by 6 p.m., and
others to reach Lambeth Ward by 7 p.m. The Lambeth Ward, however, it was ascertained from
these men, is not popular on account of the task imposed. Several of the men made their way to
the Embankment to share in the distribution of food which takes place under the supervision
of Mr. and Mrs. Eustace Miles. I am informed that 30 or 40 men are turned away from the City
Casual Ward every evening, and that they go either to the Embankment or to other casual wards.
At Marylebone there were 42 applicants, of whom 34 were admitted. Of the 8 remaining, 2 said they
were going to Paddington, but on being informed by some of their companions that they would
have half a ton of stone to break and would have to remain for two nights, they decided to go to
Chelsea. Two were going to Islington, and 2 to Mill Hill on the way to Uxbridge. One went to
the Embankment, and the last man disappeared. It appears that there is ample time to try for
admission into several wards on the same evening; for instance, the City at 5 p.m., Marylebone
at 6 p.m., Lambeth at 7 p.m , and Chelsea up to 8 p.m.
The night of 18th February last was clear and not cold for the time of year. It is, therefore,
not remarkable that only 10 men and 20 women were found seeking shelter on staircases and
under arches. The figures and weather conditions for previous years are compared with the night
to which this report relates in the following statement:—

The number of men on the Embankment waiting for the distribution of tickets by the
Salvation Army entitling the recipient to food and shelter but no bed was 1,524, and 1,450 of these
men were provided for in this way. The remaining 74 received no tickets. Some of them, however,
may have been included among the 119 men provided each with 8 oz. bread and margarine between
midnight and 4 a.m. at Medland Hall, Limehouse. Earlier in the evening, at 6 p.m., the same
institution supplied a similar meal to each of 280 men.
In my report of last year I commented upon the use made of free shelters by women, and I
instanced Dr. Barnardo's Homes in St. John's-place (now Penzance-place), Kensington, and
Commercial-street, Whitechapel. Although the number of apparently homeless women in the
streets was 50 more this year than in 1909, the former home, licensed for 43 women, contained
only 23 women, and the Whitechapel Home, authorised to receive 71 women, was occupied by only
14 women and 8 children. The average number received in the Whitechapel home on Friday nights
in 15 consecutive weeks preceding the night of the census was only 14 women and 10 children. As I
have before mentioned, however, the "Christian Herald" (Willow-street) Mission this year has distributed
amongst women a number of tickets each night, the possession of which enables the bearer
to obtain a free bed at a common lodging house, and this may have had some influence in causing these
two shelters to have fewer inmates. I learn that on the night of the last enumeration 153 tickets
were so distributed. It is also worthy of note that the Salvation Army threepenny shelter in Whitechapel,
licensed for 276 women, which used to be filled each night, has for some time past had a
shortage of from 50 to 80 lodgers. In the lodging houses for women generally, the result of
extended observation shows that about 35 per cent, of the authorised number of beds are empty
each night. On the other hand, a night refuge for destitute women in Providence-row, where no
charge is made, is full every night.
As was the case last year, there is a considerable amount of free food distributed in London
during the day time, in addition to that given away at night in connection with shelter schemes.
Thus the Eustace Miles distribution takes place twice a day, and from 500 to 600 men are supplied
on each occasion. Daily Graphic coupons are received in return for 200 meals a day at Millbankstreet
shelter, and for something approaching 1,400 meals a week at Hanbury-street shelter. At
another shelter (Ham-yard) about 150 persons are given a free meal each day, whilst 1,000 penny
dinners are supplied. At the free shelters, both licensed and unlicensed, food is supplied as well as
lodging; at some places for nothing, at others in return for labour. The distribution of bread and
margarine at Medland Hall to 400 men on the night of the 18th February has already been referred
to. This number is, in fact, supplied with a similar meal every night in addition to the occupants
of the shelter, numbering 343 persons. The "Christian Herald" (Willow-street) Mission and the