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51
the storage of coal or coke, the upper compartment for crockery,
pots and pans, and sometimes food. These cupboards are often
not used for food for various reasons—the presence of mice or
vermin, or the want of suitable ventilation; the food appears to
become musty. Some of the tenants keep their food wrapped up
on the table in the living room, others in a chest of drawers, others
in a small wooden chest, kept on the landing, which they have made
themselves. The rooms on each floor communicate with each other,
occasionally by a door, more often by a thin curtain placed across
an open doorway.
There are no baths in any of the houses, no gas, no electricity.
Apart from the recess already mentioned, there is no open space
for children's play. Some of the children are said to go to the
gardens in Benjamin Street, but these are unsuitable for play as
it is generally understood. One of the tenants said she sent her
children to play in St. James' Park during the holidays.
It is not meant that all the foregoing defects are present in any
one house.
The property might well be described as being old and worn out,
for want of a better term. The tenants were questioned as to
their health and sickness records during their present occupancies.
Some stated they and their families had had much illness, others
averred that they had never had a day's illness, had lived there
since they were born, they and many of their forbears.
The total number of rooms in these houses is 33. Of these
8 are used as living rooms only, 8 for living and sleeping purposes,
and 17 for sleeping only. No. 19, White Horse Alley deserves
special mention. On each floor there is only one room and there is
no through ventilation. The water closet is placed in the basement
near the washing copper.
The weekly rents in White Horse Alley range from 3s. to 3s. 6d.
per room. The rents stated to be paid for Nos. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 19,
amount to £5 7s. per week. The rates and taxes are paid by the
owners.
D 2