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and coal porters at the dust and coal wharves, horsekeepers
from numerous stables, blacksmiths, engineers,
stokers, firemen from the railway — whose garments
leave the grime on walls or staircase, as soon as they
have been papered by the landlord. How can these
persons be expected to keep clean, either their persons,
clothing, bedding, linen, blankets, &c.? How can
washing, drying, mangling and ironing be done at
home in one room? Every drop of water has often
to be carried up for personal use, and then the slops,
unless they remain all night in the room or adjoining
passage, have to be taken down (no sink being
provided for the upper rooms).
In some houses a wash-house is built with a copper
outside the house; in others, it is in the back kitchen,
and lodgers take it in turns to do their washing. Great
indeed would be the comfort and convenience of being
able to have the washing done away from all houses
where more than one family reside in the same house.
The vapour of steam, the smell of soap-suds, and a
general dampness constitute a real nuisance both to
landlord and tenant, who ought in self-defence to unite
in petitioning the Vestry to put into force the Act of
1844, authorizing the erection of Public Baths and
Washhouses. The Public Baths and Washhouses have
in almost every instance been successful, have paid out
of profits the capital invested, and have never permanently
taxed the Rate-payers one farthing. It is a sad
spectacle to find in this rich country our working
classes often worse housed, and less cleanly, than the
soldiers, sailors, criminals, paupers and lunatics.
I have in my former Reports alluded to this subject,
and cannot but feel that the industrial portion of the
community in this wealthy Parish is not well provided
for in this respect, and that if some intelligent
members of the Vestry will make an appeal for the