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79
Within the scheduled areas existed a number of
common lodging houses described as promiscuously overcrowded,
the haunts of vice, filth and immorality—these were
replaced by seven model lodging houses, which were studied
by Lord Rowton and served him as types of construction
for his famous and successful London venture. The seven
houses accommodate nightly 2,400 persons at charges of from
3½d. to 6d. per night. They are so like the Rowton houses
that they need not be further described. The total cost of
the seven houses including sites and equipment has been
£109,343, after writing off for depreciation £19,966 ; the
return for the year 1903 was £5 8s. 3¼d. per cent.
A peculiar institution to Glasgow is the " Family Home "
situated in St. Andrew Street; the cost of which was
£17,600, designed for deserving widows and widowers having
one or more young children with no one to look after them ;
now, however, it is restricted entirely to widowers. The
house contains 160 single plainly furnished bedrooms, each
capable of accommodating one adult and three children—a
common dining room and kitchen, with gas fires and steam
cooking boilers; a nursery, recreation rooms, baths, and
lavatories. The building is lighted by the electric light and
warmed by a hot water installation. The rent of each bedroom
is 5s 6d. per week, meals are cooked and supplied at
almost cost price, and the children are boarded at an average
of 1s. 7d. per week each.
A superintendent, nurses, and servants form the staff.
Children under school age are attended by the nurses—the
elder children go to school. The expenses, therefore, of a
widower left with three young children, his wages being, say,
25s. per week, would total up somewhat as follows ;—-
s. d.
Rent of furnished room 5 6
Expense of food for the three children 4 9
His own food, say 6 0
16 3
This leaves 8s. 9d. per week for clothes, club subscription,
literature, tobacco, beer, amusements; no large sum, but
with strict economy and self control sufficient.