View report page

135
In 19 households both parents were addicted to drink, in 10
other families one or other of the parents was alcoholic.
The sickness records of the families since they had been living
under these overcrowded conditions were ren arkably good
—there were three families with phthisis, two families with scarlet
fever, and one with pneumonia. The rest had merely experienced
the usual children's ailments.
The total deaths in these families were 45, and nearly all of
these had occurred before the overcrowding was established.
The explanation of this anomaly may be that now, owing to
their poverty, these families had perforce to live on simple lare,
and to avoid excesses. Many of the previous deaths were due to
pneumonia, probably to be attributed to insufficient clothing and
exposure, while the families were still having a hard struggle to
keep up appearances before becoming submerged.
The original reasons for the overcrowding were stated to be
poverty, unemployment, the casual or irregular nature of the
employment, increase in family, drink, and the illness or death
of the chief wage-earner.
Additional reasons for its continuance were inability to pay
more rent, and, in one instance, a definite refusal to pay more
rent though well able to do so.
This latter was the family of nine, who lived in one room,
rented at 4s. 6d. per week. The father earned 26s. per week,
and gave his wife 10s. to provide for the household. In order
to supplement this pittance the mother worked as a charwoman.
In 13 families, although the overcrowding was well established,
children were still being born. In one instance the mother left
the father because she did not wish to have any more children.
It is interesting to note that when the circumstances of these
overcrowded families improve, their first concern is for more and
better food. It is only under pressure that they seek to abate
the overcrowding. Sometimes such a family has become so