View report page

16
Most of the houses were those occupied by the working class,
and the average rent for a home with three bedrooms and two
sitting rooms (including kitchen) is about 10s. per week; in many
cases a lodger or lodgers are taken to assist in paying the reat.
There has been no prevalence of overcrowding in the District.
For the purpose of the Census an "overcrowded tenement"
is defined as being inhabited by more than two persons per room.
From the figures obtained during the course of house inspection,
I find 1.16 is the average number of occupants per room in Wood
Green. Richmond Road is as low as .88 per room, while certain
houses in Commerce Road reach 2 per room.
It is unfortunate that the Public Health Act, 1875, does
not contain any definition of overcrowding; we are therefore
guided by the space allowed in Common Lodging Houses, viz.,
300 cubic feet for an adult and 150 cubic feet for a child under
] 0, and, while I am of opinion that this is too low a standard, I
am afraid any legal proceedings would fail in trying to force any
higher standard in face of there being no legal definition for
overcrowding.
There can be little doubt that the character of part of the
District is changing. I refer particularly to the Bowes Park and
Town Hall Wards, where houses, which a few years ago were let to
one family, are now occupied by two families.
This is due, in a great measure, to the advent of the Motor-bus
and Tramway giving cheaper and better facilities for people to
move out to the suburbs. The opening of the London General
Omnibus Garage at Palmers Green, which is not far from our
boundary, brought an influx of motor men, who naturally wish to
reside near their employment, and their wages not being equal to
the rents, two of them join in taking one house.
I am pleased to say, so far, we have not come across any overcrowding
in consequence, but instance it as a changing condition
of things in the District.