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even if the time has not now arrived. Many improvements which have
of late years been made in Woolwich such as the erection of Board
Schools in Mulgrave Place, the erection of the Baths in Market Street,
etc., have resulted in the demolition of a large number of houses,
but as will be seen by reference to the following figures there is no
total diminution in the number of houses in the district. for other houses
have been built.
Number of Houses Built 207 See Table XXVI.
Number Demolished 83
In Woolwich there are however a large number of old and delapidated
houses, destitute of such sanitary conveniences as are in the present dayexpected
in houses for the poorer classes, which by being patched up, oftimes
in a prefunctory manner, are enabled to escape out of my hands, but which
remain eminently unsatisfactory and a constant source of trouble and
anxiety, of this class examples may be found in the houses of Callis Alley.
Rush Grove and part of Artillery Place, to some of these attention was
recently somewhat prominently directed.
In such a case I think it will be generally admitted that the officials of
the Sanitary Authority or even the Sanitary Authority itself should
receive any information which gives the impression, rightly or wrongly,
of Insanitation, first hand, and not through the columns of the newspapers.
The clergy have opportunities of an exceptional character of rendering
very real service to the Sanitary Officials in the anxious duties they have
to perform, to mention, as example only, the case of overcrowding.
The church worker or missionary has a certain limited area under his
care, he knows or should know every occupant of every house or room
in that area, and he can thus speak with authority on the subject of the
number of occupants of a room, when information of a wholly
untrustworthy nature is given to the Sanitary Inspector in answer to his
enquiries from persons interested in concealing the true state
of things.
Underground
Rooms.
The question of underground rooms as dwelling rooms
has been under serious consideration so far as Woolwich is
concerned, the present stringent regulations on this subject will I think