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75
DWELLINGS.—A great deal of work has been done in the
past year to improve the dwellings, and the work has been well
done. Walls and ceilings cleansed and repaired, floors, stairs,
roofs, &c., repaired to make them safe and serviceable. Water
closets in 736 premises have been cleansed and repaired, and to
promote cleanliness and prevent dangerous accumulations 916
closets have been provided with water supply. To secure more
dryness in the surface ground, and to allow of more ventilation
in the basements of 663 dwellings, their yards have been paved
with stone or cement concrete.
Much care has been taken to prevent the atmosphere being
polluted by dust accumulations. 578 new dust bins have been
provided—and from 114 small confined premises the dust bins
have been removed, and improved public dust bins erected, in open
spaces.
Many of the dwellings improved are small old cottages, which
had become unfit for human beings to live in. But in them much
of the surface decay has been removed and the houses made drier,
and the sanitary appliances more suitable, so that the dwellings are
now habitable.
22 premises have been closed, as they were unfit for human
habitation.
ARTIZANS' DWELLINGS IMPROVEMENT ACTS.—
There are places in the Parish where the dwellings are so crowded
together, and so closed in, that proper ventilation is impossible;
and the structures are so much decayed, and so damp, that they are
dangerous to health. It is exceedingly difficult, or impossible, to
keep the walls, &c., of such houses free from poisonous accumulations.
There are other dwellings, like Watson's Place, Ware Street,
Louisa Street and Nancy Street, which have been constructed of
such defective materials that the owners cannot prevent the
dwellings becoming unfit for human habitation. I have witnessed
the earnest efforts of many Leaseholders, and a large expenditure
of money and labor to effect improvements in these dwellings ; for
a short time they have been much improved and made habitable,