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not overcrowded, i.e., not more than two persons per room, there were
158 instances recorded of three persons living in one room, 49 instances
of four persons in one room, 18 instances of five persons in one room,
nine instances of six persons in one room, and two instances of seven
persons in one room. Among the two-roomed tenements which were
overcrowded at the Census, there were 168 instances of five persons in
two rooms, 94 instances of six persons in two rooms, 40 instances of
seven persons in two rooms, 17 instances of eight persons in two rooms,
four instances of nine persons in two rooms, and three instances of 10
persons in two rooms. These cases are cited as shewing the severe
handicap that is placed upon the housewife when, in addition to other
inconveniences, the domestic washing has to be done and the drying,
etc., to be carried out, in a small tenement Some families so situated
have successfully striven to improve their lot: for instance, among
those families who have obtained accommodation at London County
Council housing estates have been those living five in two rooms, six in
two rooms, seven in one room, and seven in two rooms; but others
waiting for the provision of accommodation are equally badly housed.
For the great majority of cases, however, there is no likelihood of
improvement, generally, for some time to come.
Personal Cleanliness.
An aspect of this matter where an improvement might be effected
is associated with the dirty occupations of some of the working members
of families. Wearing apparel of coalmen, carmen, scavengers or dustmen, and the like, must become very dirty; and for these and any such
it is very desirable that both personal washing and bathing facilities
should exist at the chief places where the men cease work. If such
measures were provided they might be encouraged to attain to a
higher standard of personal cleanliness, while the housewives' attempts
at keeping their homes, bedding, &c., in a more clean condition would
not be handicapped by the return of the breadwinners, dirtied by their
day's work, to, perhaps, a one- or two-roomed tenement, possibly not
even provided with its own private sink and water supply. Under
such a scheme, too, it should be possible for workers to keep a change
of clothing at their depot or other centre of work.
These improvements would be of benefit to the community generally; as the presence to-day in public conveyances of unwashed
workers in their soiled clothing returning home from work testifies.
A change in the habits of people along these lines could not be
achieved rapidly; it takes time to eradicate old habits and ways of
living; but such a step forward might well be taken by municipalities