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15
land), against 60 per acre for the County of London.
Some very serious cases of overcrowding come under
observation from time to time, and what can be done ?
Herewith are a few :—
(1) One room with a total capacity of 1,368 cubic
feet.
Furniture : one double bed, one single bed, table,
wash-stand, several chairs. Food is kept and cooked
in this room. Water has to be carried up several
flights of stairs.
The family consists of father, mother and six
children, all of school age or under (two of them since
admitted to an institution).
The room is very dirty. The father is nearly
always out of work and the general condition of the
household and family is past describing.
(4) One room about 8 ft. 6 ins. long by 8 ft. 6 ins.
wide by 8 ft. high.
Furniture : One single bed, one cot, two chairs,
one small table. In this room all food is kept and
cooking done by fire and gas ring. Water is carried
up from a tap a few flights of stairs down.
The family living in this dwelling consists of father,
mother (recently confined) and two small children.
A dog expecting puppies lives under the bed.
Child aged about 3 years is sitting in the cot all
day, wedged between the wall and the bed; it has no
desire to do anything else, also would not have room
to run about if it wanted to.
Child aged about 16 months sitting at the foot of
the bed all day (and, no doubt, this is where it has to
sleep, there being no other suitable space), also has no
idea of running about; its only joy in life is trying to
catch the bugs as they wander about the wall, but the
vermin is more energetic than the child and therefore
always gets away.