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86
The " permitted number of persons " is the number determined
in accordance with one or other of the two following tables, whichever
be the less:—
(a) Where the dwelling-house consists of :—
(i) One room 2 persons.
(ii) Two rooms 3 „
(iii) Three rooms 5 „
(iv) Four rooms 7½ „
(v) Five rooms or more 10 persons, with an additional two
persons in respect of each room
in excess of five.
or
(b) the aggregate number obtained by reckoning for each room a
number of persons as follows:—
Where the floor area of a room is:—
(i) 110 square feet or more 2 persons.
(ii) 90 square feet or more, but less than
110 square feet 1½ „
(iii) 70 square feet or more, but less than
90 square feet 1 „
(iv) 50 square feet or more, but less than
70 square feet ½ „
(v) Under 50 square feet Nil.
As was pointed out in the Memorandum of the Ministry of
Health, " this standard does not represent any ideal standard of
housing, but the minimum which is in the view of Parliament tolerable
while at the same time capable of immediate or early enforcement."
The Survey.
The survey fell into two stages, the first being a preliminary
enumeration to ascertain the number of persons in each family, the
number of children under 10 years of age, and the number of rooms
occupied. The enumeration, which was made in respect of 9,686
structurally separate houses occupied by 17,917 separate families, was
begun in the autumn, and showed (i) the families which were overcrowded
irrespective of the sizes of the rooms occupied, (ii) the
families which were not overcrowded, and (iii) doubtful cases of