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99
8th. There were three drinking fountains in the playgrounds,
one for the infants, one for the girls and one for the boys;
these were supplied from filters placed in the closets, and so close
up to the ceiling as to preclude inspection; it was stated that the
filters were fitted four years ago, and that nothing had been done
to them since. It was therefore highly probable that the filtering
medium was foul.
A report setting forth these conditions was forwarded to the
School Board, in response to which some windows were cut into
the walls of the staircase leading to the girls' department. This
gives a little additional light, which is obtained from the boys' staircase.
Some other alterations were made but with very little result,
and therefore further communications were addressed to the Board,
with the result that the dark closets and urinals have been replaced
with new ones built in the open air; additional windows have been
introduced in the class rooms; nevertheless, several of the rooms
continue very defectively lighted, and as the schools are overshadowed
by high buildings on two sides, it does not seem possible
that anything short of the removal of the buildings to the site
occupied by the playground, at the rear, will ever seoure the due
amount of light to the class rooms.
DRYSDALE STREET (10 HOUSES),
NEW STREET (28 houses), SARAH STREET (26 HOUSES),
ELIZA PLACE (11 houses).
The houses in Drysdale Street are 4-roomed cottages with
small back yards. The other streets are cul-de-sacs, opening into
Drysdale Street, and the houses are 2-roomed cottages with small
back additions and small back yards.
The lease of the whole of the houses reverted to the freeholder,
a short time back; previous to which they were in the occupation
of a large number of separate leaseholders, several of whom were
widows, and all of whom were very poor, and quite unable, from
the small margin of profit derived from their leases, to keep the
houses in proper repair. The houses had, therefore, in the