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houses. The owners of the houses were so informed, and the women were
immediately.turned out. The Police Authorities were communicated with,
respecting this district generally, in November, 1891, but no complaint was
received from them as to houses used as brothels; and several police
officers, present at the time of your Committee's recent inspection, were
unable to give any information as to the existence of brothels. Nevertheless,
your Committee have directed a further application to be made to the
Police Authorities with a view to ascertain whether they can now indicate
any houses used for immoral purposes.*
"After a general discussion of the subject of their enquiry, your Committee proceeded
to the locality, which, in one of the communications laid before
them, is inaccurately described as ' a network ' of streets. The district is
well laid-out, the streets are straight, the houses in each generally of uniform
elevation, and not too lofty for the width of the roadway. The roadways
and foot-pavements of all the streets were perfectly clean. Bangor Street,
Crescent Street, William Street, and St. Katherine's Road are parallel
streets, and lie east and west. St. Clement's Road is at right angles to
these streets. With the exception of those on the south side of William
Street, the houses in all the streets have good through ventilation and back
yards or gardens. The houses in William Street are the oldest in the neighbourhood.
Those on the south side are double-fronted, only one room in
depth, and have no outlet at the rear. There is a measure of through ventilation
by staircase windows, and the several houses have large front yards
or forecourts. The street is only about 28ft. in width, but the distance between
the fronts of the opposite houses is 55ft. There is room for considerable
sanitary amendments in these houses, and the matter is now
engaging your Committee's attention.
"No evidence was forthcoming in support of the allegation of defective sewerage
in Bangor Street and William Street. The allegation is, in fact, quite
incorrect. The description of the external appearance of the houses as
'black and filthy, dilapidated, ruinous,' &c., and of the houses themselves
as ' foul holes ' is far-fetched and unwarranted.
"There is evidence that the district is densely populated, and your Committee
have given directions for ascertaining whether any, and if so, which of the
houses or rooms are overcrowded, in contravention of the Regulations for
houses let in lodgings or which are occupied by members of more than one
family. Any such cases discovered will be promptly dealt with. Your
*The Commissioner of Police, under date, May 15th, 1893, wrote to the effect that
"observation has been kept by the Police," with regard to the question of alleged disorderly
houses, "but no evidence has as yet been obtained which would be of any use to the Vestry."
He added that "the question will not be lost sight of, and should the Police at any time be in a
position to comply with the Vestry's wishes in this respect they shall immediately be communicated
with." The letter concluded with an assurance that 11 the attention of the Police
has been specially drawn to the locality generally."
K.