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In addition to the above, 2 houses have been inspected by
Mr. Crow, 59 by Mr. Wood, and 2 by Mr. Smith, making
167 since the last Report.
Work completed, &c., since last report:—
Completed 41—In hand 25.
The late excessive heat having in a great measure prevented
sanitary inspections, and it not being advisable fresh work
should be commenced, my attention has been specially directed
to the overcrowding of dwellings ; and in consequence of two
cases of Cholera having occurred in Smith's Place, I inspected
all the houses, and found them with one or two exceptions in a
very dirty and unwholesome condition, imperfectly ventilated,
and several of the rooms overcrowded, the sexes being
intermingled in a manner most detrimental to the morals, not
to say decency of the occupants.
In the lower room of No. 1, the dimensions being 15 feet
by 12, was a man, his wife, and five children, the eldest 13 years
of age; in the lower room of No. 2, a man, his wife, and six
children ; and in the lower room of No. 3, the dimensions
being 15 feet by 10, a woman, her two sons, ages 22 and 20,
and daughter 19; in the upper room, a man, his wife, and six
children, eldest 13 years of age. Each of these houses are
very imperfectly ventilated, and from the fact of their adjoining
others at the back, there is no means of improving it.
A similar state of things exists in Artillery Square; the
lower room of No. 1, which is 10 feet 6 by 11 feet 4, contains
a man, his wife, 3 children, and a young woman aged 19,
and so on. I could multiply instances in Artillery Square,
Symond's Buildings, and Fisher's Court, the houses in the
two latter places being in a very dilapidated, dirty, and in my
opinion, unsafe condition.
In Artillery Square, Mr. Wood with the consent of the
owners of the property, has prepared a plan by which the
existing evils will be removed; and if the Board will
give directions for properly paving the Square, a very great
improvement will be effected.
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