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17
notwithstanding they may be kitchens if normally
used as a living room.
At the time these assessments were made it was
recognised that the method of assessment was bad
and that the Committee thought it was too high, and
indeed represented a degree of overcrowding, but
it was felt, I believe wisely, that the whole idea,
which was novel, was a very good one and that the
method of assessment could be varied in the light of
experience with substantial lessening of the permitted
number for houses. It must be recognised that in the
future these necessary and desirable variations will
become operative, that the present unsatisfactory
method of assessing the permitted number will be
altered and that generally there will be a less population
per house.
It may not be practicable to leave out altogether
the living rooms because otherwise people could claim
that this room was a kitchen, this room was a dining
room, this room was a sewing room, and so forth,
with the result that relatively large houses could be
deemed to be overcrowded with only a small number
of people in them.
On the other hand, there should be in every house
one reasonably large bedroom near the bathroom
and with a fireplace, and notwithstanding its size
should only be assessed for one person, so that for
coughs and colds and influenzal chills it will be
possible by arrangement of sleeping accommodation
to make provision for the isolation of such a case.
This object could also be achieved by discounting
the first 60 sq. feet of floor area.
c