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184
THE HOUSING OF THE WORKING
CLASSES.
In connection with the "Registration of Houses let inLodgings,"
reference may fitly be made to the Report of Her Majesty's
Commissioners for inquiring into "the Housing of the Working
Classes." The Report is based upon the testimony of numerous
witnesses, including many whose evidence relates to the housing of
the poor in London. Among these there were the Medical Officers
of Health for Bermondsey, Hackney, and St. Pancras, the Vestry
Clerks for Chelsea, Clerkenwell, and St. James's, Westminster,
two vestrymen, of Clerkenwell, six clergymen and sixteen School
Board visitors, in addition to architects, surveyors, landed
estate agents, railway directors, directors of Artizans Dwellings'
Companies, and officers of police. Lord Shaftesbury, Sir Sidney
Waterlow, Miss Octavia Hill, and Mr. George R. Sims also gave
evidence.
The subject of the inquiry naturally divides itself into causes
of existing evils, remedies and recommendations. Under each of
these heads the remarks of the Commissioners are copious and full
of interest.
So many questions are dealt with that it is difficult to make
a selection for reference.
No question, however, is of greater importance, or more deserving
of consideration,than "overcrowding," which maybe described as
the dominating evil which gave rise to the appointment of the
Commission, and on this subject the evidence is full and the report
emphatic.
The Commissioners note that "the single room system
for families is widely extended," and, that, as a natural consequence,
"overcrowding is more serious than ever it was."
Admitting this to be the fact, it is an obvious remark that the
increased overcrowding must be local and partial, for there were
not more persons living in a house in London, on an average,
in 1881, than in 1861 and 1871. Lord Shaftesbury is responsible
for the statement, which I do not think to be at all generally