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and chairs, There is water-closet accommodation in connection
with it. There is no bed, and no provision is
made for cooking meals. It is not intended that the
shelter shall be occupied at night time. No use has as
yet been made of it.
18. Wandsworth—
Putney One room has been provided at the vestry's new wharf on the
Putney-embankment. The room is now furnished as a
kitchen, and bed furniture has been supplied. The
house is now occupied by the clerk of the wharf. It has
been used as a shelter on one occasion.
Clapham One room furnished as a kitchen has been provided in a lean-
to building at the vestry's stone-yard. No provision for
sleeping has been made.
19. Greenwich A house, No. 86, East-street, has been provided for the whole
district. It is partially fitted for use. A sitting-room
and two bedrooms are available. There is no bath-room,
and crockery, cooking utensils, &c., are not provided.
There is a resident caretaker.
20. Woolwich A house has been provided containing five bedrooms (three
furnished), a dining-room, a kitchen, and a bath-room.
There are also in the house two rooms occupied by a
caretaker. It is stated that people have no great aversion
to going there. The house has been much used, the
average stay in it being one night, but some persons have
been there six nights.
21. Plumstead No. 38, The Slade, a two-storey detached house overlooking
the common. One of the inspectors lives here, and two
bedrooms and a sitting-room are furnished for use of
persons requiring temporary shelter. Such persons have
the use of the kitchen and of cooking appliances, and
crockery, &c., is provided. In the bedrooms there is
washing accommodation, but there is no bath-room.
There is one water-closet in the yard at rear. Nine
families have used the house up to the present time. Noone
has stayed in the shelter more than one night.
22. Lee—
Charlton One room has been provided in a lean-to building at the parish
wharf. It is supplied with chairs and a table and a small
gas-stove. No provision has been made for cooking or
sleeping. It has only been used once since it was opened
a year ago.
It will be seen that somewhat different views have been taken by the several sanitary authorities
who have provided a shelter as to the character of the accommodation which is required. In most of
the shelters this accommodation is provided for use by night, but in a few instances only day accommodation
has been considered necessary. The time occupied in the removal of infected articles to the
disinfecting station, in their disinfection, and in their return, extends to several hours. The time
occupied in the purification of the room, often the only room of the family, extends to many hours. It
is obvious that the use of the shelter by night must be contemplated in any arrangements made.
The provision of baths is another consideration which should be borne in mind, for opportunities
for personal cleanliness are especially necessary for those coming from infected houses.
The opinion was frequently expressed during the enquiry of 1894 that poor persons were
unwilling to use the accommodation which has been provided. In connection with this difficulty it
deserves to be pointed out that these people need the experience which time only can give; they will
eventually find this accommodation meet their convenience, and I do not doubt that the use of shelters
will grow from year to year. Indeed, there is already evidence of increased use of shelters, but it
must be remembered that the expectation that the poor will avail themselves of these temporary homes
must depend very largely upon the shelter being made reasonably attractive.
Districts mentioned in Schedule C to the Metropolis Local Management Act, 1855.
The tabular statement does not give account of the arrangements made in these districts in
respect to disinfection, but it may be' stated briefly that Lincoln's-inn makes use of the St. Giles
disinfecting apparatus; the Inner Temple and the Middle Temple have arranged with the Commissioners
of Sewers for the disinfection of infected articles; the Charterhouse, Staple-inn, and Furnival's-inn,
included in the Holborn Union, use the dry-heat oven belonging to the guardians of that union; the
Close of the Collegiate Church of St. Peter has arranged with a contractor; and Gray's-inn has left the
arrangements to its medical officer of health.
Shirley F. Murphy,
Medical Officer of Health.