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88 HOUSING.
in 1912 in the numbers of tenements of one and two rooms, and of the larger tenements, and
a considerable increase in the number of tenements of three rooms. The figures given below
will make this point quite clear.
Numbers. Ratio per 1,000. Increase (+ ),
1906. 1912. 1900. 1912. Decrease(-)
per cent.
Houses 1,579 1,612
Tenements
Totals 4,637 4,457 1,000 1,000
Containing
Rooms 1 1,102 914 239 205 -14-2
„ 2 1,525 1,258 329 282 -142
„ 3 1,606 2,146 346 481 +390
„ 4 221 130 48 29 -38-9
„ 5 108 8 23 2 -92-9
„ 6 63 1 13 0 -98-6
„ 7 6 - 1 - -100
The numbers of tenements containing five or more rooms are too small, especially in 1912,
to make any useful comparisons between the two inquiries. Of the tenements of less than five
rooms the following changes have to be noted. (See Table 49, page 95.)
Tenements of One Room.—Generally speaking, there were fewer tenements in 1912 in the
majority of the streets, but increased numbers (10 per cent, increases being taken as significant)
were found in—
Portnall Road 1906, 17 tenements; 1912, 20—increase, 17 per cent.
Brindley Street „ 60 ,, „ 90 ,, 50 „
Tenements of Two Rooms.—Smaller numbers in 1912 were the rule, but significant increases
were recorded in—
Ashmore Road... ... 1906, 105 tenements; 1912,118—increase, 12 per cent.
Bravington Road „ 50 ,, „ 65 ,, 30 „
Portnall Road ,,61 ,, „ 95 „ 55 „
Hetbpool Street „ 41 ,, „ 51 „ 24 ,,
Tenements of Three Rooms.—In no case was the number recorded in 1912 less than that of
1906, but the same numbers were recorded on the two occasions in—
Brindley Street, Church Place, and Cirencester Street.
The increases reported were significant (i.e., exceeded 10 per cent.) in all the other streets
except—
Bravington Road ... 1906, 527 tenements; 1912, 565—increase, 7 percent.
Tenements of Four Rooms.—Smaller numbers were the rule in 1912 ; in fact, in some streets
this class of tenement had disappeared. Significant increases were, however, reported in—
Lancefield Street ... 1906, 23 tenements; 1912,34—increase, 48 per cent.
Waverley Road „ 2 ,, ,,3 „ 50 „
Church Place ,, — ,, ,,3
On the whole the figures here submitted may be considered sufficient evidence as to a real
improvement in the housing conditions, judged solely on the average amount of house room per
family. It should be remembered that the average family is smaller now than it was in 1906.
Table 49 compares the average rentals prevailing in the selected streets in 1906 and 1912.
Although the selection of the streets was decided on with a view to obtaining "random samples"
of the working-class dwellings in the Borough, there was some "bias" because such choice was
affected by previous general knowledge of the streets. Further, in many of the streets the
numbers of any particular class of dwelling are so small that the "errors" are probably large.
It should be added that until Table 49 had been prepared it was expected that an increase in all
average rentals would be demonstrated.