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26
HOUSING.
The Committee considered 142 new applications for milk, etc. In 87 instances grants were
made, the remaining 55 applications being rejected, either on account of the family income being
above the prescribed scale, or because it was considered that the families ought to be left to the Poor
Law Guardians on account of their destitution. Besides the 87 new grants there were 206 renewals
of grants to former applicants. In all 345 orders were issued: 310 for milk, 4 for dinners and 33 for
milk substitutes. The total quantity of milk supplied was 3,295½ quarts—2,923 quarts being free
and 372½ quarts at half cost—at an expenditure of about £95. Dinners (63 in number) cost £3 18s. 9d.,
and milk substitutes ("Glaxo," etc.), £11 2s. 11d.
Purchases of milk substitutes for sale at cost price by the School for Mothers were made by
the Council to the value of £1,180, the receipts from the School amounting to £1,187. Taking into
consideration the milk substitutes supplied free, the receipts from sales should normally be lower
than the amount expended; the fact that the receipts were higher was due to variations in the stocks
on hand at the beginning and close of the year.
Other Work.—Grants were made by the Council towards the maintenance of seven unmarried
mothers admitted to the St. Mary Magdalene's Home, the cost thereby incurred being £85 10s. 0d.
Five (5) applications were received for the admission to Convalescent Homes of mothers and their
babies. Of these, however, 4 were withdrawn, the mother and child in the remaining case being
admitted to the Shooters Hill Home. The total cost was recovered from the family.
Owing to financial difficulties it was decided, early in the year, to close the Children's Hotel at
Beauchamp Lodge. It was shortly afterwards reopened under private auspices, but is no longer on
the list of institutions receiving grants from the Council.
Three (3) applications were made for the admission of children to the Toddlers' Home, Maidenhead,
but other arrangements being made no grants were required.
Day Nurseries.—There were 5,642 attendances at the Paddington Day Nursery, Porchester
Houses, children being received on 233 days. The number of new children admitted during the year
was 79. The Queen's Park Day Nursery in Lancefield Street was open on 279 occasions, a total of
4,777 attendances being made. Forty-four (44) new children were received. The Council gave a
grant of £21 to the last-mentioned Day Nursery.
Among the children attending Porchester Houses there were 6 cases of measles and 1 of whooping
cough ; and among those attending the Queen's Park Nursery 3 cases of whooping cough, 2 of measles
and 1 of scarlet fever. It was not found necessary to close either of the Nurseries on account of
infectious illness.
HOUSING.
Census Data.—Until the census of 1921 the unit was the "house," that is to say, a building
contained between two party or external walls, and houses were returned simply as "inhabited,"
"uninhabited," or "building." In 1901 and 1911 "uninhabited" houses were subdivided into
"houses in occupation" and "houses not in occupation." In the Report on the last census the
designation "house" has been abandoned, and " building " substituted for it. Buildings are classified
as "In course of erection" or "Completed," the latter being subdivided into two groups, viz.,
those "containing dwellings" and those "not containing dwellings." The Report shows that there
were in the Borough 15 buildings in course of erection on the night of the census, 1,138 completed
buildings not containing dwellings, and 17,153 containing dwellings. The latter are further subdivided
under five headings, to which reference will be made later.
It used to be the rule to give the total number of "Schedules" completed for census purposes,
and regard each schedule as representing a family. At the census of 1911 the detailed tabulations
relating to housing were confined to the population forming the "Private Families," and that practice
was followed at the last census. The definition of a Private Family is somewhat involved, and is,
therefore, quoted here in extenso:—
Private Family.-—Any person or group of persons included in a separate return (i.e., schedule) as being
in separate occupation of any premises or part of premises is treated as a separate family for census purposes,
lodgers being so treated only when returned as boarding separately and not otherwise. Private families comprise
all such families with the exception of those enumerated in (i.) institutions or (ii.) business establishments
or boarding houses in which the number of resident trade assistants or resident boarders exceeds the number
of members of the employer's or householder's family (including private domestic servants).
Of the total population of 144,261 persons enumerated in 1921, 131,351 were members of 38,320
private families, such families occupying 19,433 "Structurally Separate Dwellings" containing 141,959
rooms.
The designation "Structurally Separate Dwelling" is new, and is defined in the following
terms:—
Structurally Separate Dwelling.— . . . any room or set of rooms, intended or used for habitation,
having separate access either to the street or to a common landing or staircase. Thus each flat in a block of
flats is a separate unit ; a private house which has not been structurally subdivided is similarly a single unit
whether occupied by one family or by several families. . . .
Where an undivided house is used partly for business or professional purposes, it is treated as occupied
by a private family unless the portion used for non-domestic purposes consists of at least 3 rooms and is more
than one-quarter of the whole.