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58
Healthiness of Block Dwellings.
In order to ascertain the relative healthiness of dwellings erected in
blocks, I have extracted from the Registrar's Weekly Returns the deaths
of persons residing therein, and have compared the figures with the officials
of nearly all the companies owning such buildings in the City, to whom
I am indebted for the trouble they have taken.
The accompanying Table XXII shows the number of births and
deaths in 1903, with the causes of death, and the number of deaths of
infants and persons over 65.
Common Lodging-houses.
77 deaths occurred in 1903 in the common lodging-houses in the
City, equal to a death-rate of 38 per 1,000 on the authorised number of
lodgers (2,000). In 1902 the rate was 50 per 1,000. 51 of these were
attributed to St. John's Ward, 15 to the Strand, 8 to Covent Garden.
2 to Regent, and 1 to St. Anne's Ward. 67 were men, and the causes of
death were—consumption 15, respiratory diseases 13, cancer 11, heart
disease 9, kidney diseases, 3, small-pox 1, and other complaints 15.
10 were women, and death was due to—consumption 5, respiratory
disease 3, other causes 2.
In view of the licensing Of all common lodging-houses by the
County Council, which now has to be done annually, I made a special
examination of those in the City and reported upon them, and various
suggestions that I made were ordered to be carried out by the City
Council previous to granting the licence. I think it would be well if
the County Council required that rooms in such houses should be
painted in lighter colours, which would materially affect the light of
the rooms besides rendering them more cheerful for the inmates. Steps
should also be taken to prevent the indiscriminate spitting which
goes on:—
"The street improvements which are taking place in the Strand and
in St. John's Ward will lead to the closing and demolition of several
houses which have hitherto been used as common lodging-houses, viz,,
14 and 15, White Horse Yard; 25, Stanhope Street; 17, St. Ann's
Street, which have afforded accommodation for 132 women; 45 and
47, Tufton Street; 30, Romney Street; 1 and 2, St. Mary's Buildings;
22, Vere Street; 29 and 30, Yere Street; and 26 to 28, Vere Street,
accommodating 474 men.
"For other reasons it is probable that the lodging-houses at
2, Harvey's Buildings, and 16, Snow's Rents, accommodating 139 men,
will also be closed in the near future. It is, therefore, unnecessary to
require serious alterations to be carried out in the above buildings.