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66
Common Lodging-houses.
Ninety-seven deaths occurred in 1905 in the common lodging-houses
in the City. Forty-six of these were attributed to St. John's Ward, 22
to the Strand, 17 to Covent Garden, 8 to Regent, and 4 to St. Anne's
Ward. Eighty-seven were men, and the causes of death were—consumption
32, respiratory diseases 13, cancer 11, heart disease 9, kidney
diseases 3, small-pox 1, and other complaints 15. Ten were women, and
death was due to—consumption 2, respiratory disease 3, other causes 2.
The accommodation in this class of dwelling is for 2,118 men and 75
women.
The following report presented by me may be included here:—
"Night Inspection of London.—On the night of the 17th February
1 made an inspection of parts of the City of Westminster between
midnight and 4.30 a.m. This was done as part of a scheme initiated by
the Medical Officer of Health of the London County Council to ascertain
the number of homeless persons throughout London, in which the various
Borough Officers were invited to co-operate. With the assistance of
Dr. Frank Bobinson and several of the County Council inspectors, a
considerable portion of Westminster was examined with the above
object, but in the Strand, Covent Garden, Cliaring Cross, Begent, Great
Marlborough, and St. Anne's Wards I was able also to make an
examination of a number of houses with respect to which complaints
have been made from time to time, that the staircases were used at
night as sleeping places. On a previous occasion when I made a
similar inspection I found a few persons, but this time no one was
found in such places. On the former occasion many tailors were found
at work, but none were discovered on this inspection. Although a fine
night, the streets were remarkably clear of persons, only 57 men and
3 women being noted. No one was found on the Embankment between
2 and 3 a.m. We visited the Salvation Army Shelter in Wych Street,
and found 827 men and 39 women receiving food, and the Church Army
Tents in Clare Market, in which were 300 men, who were, or had been,
chopping wood. These latter receive one meal on entering and another
on leaving, and were given tickets for beds in Common Lodging Houses
on the following night. Sixty-four of the men who were receiving food
from the Salvation Army Shelter were subsequently admitted to their
lodging-house in Millbank Street.
"Sir Shirley Murphy informs me that in the whole of London
1,869 men and 312 women were found, and of these 1,212 men and 51
women were in the City of Westminster. A large number of those
were recognised as regular Common Lodging House customers, and a
few were not homeless, but, being in destitute circumstances, were