The Sun.
London, England, 1848-01-03 00:00:00

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- - - • .
17 -)4
• LOS ON, MOis DAY
EE N G

ROYAL HOTEL, GRAINGER-STREET,
NR WCASTLE-ON-TYNE.
CHARLES STATES solicits the patronage of his
BROTHER TRAVELLERS to the above Establishment, which
has recently bees newly furnished and laid out expressly for a Com-
mercial Hotel.
The COMMERCIAL ROOM, one of the largest and most elegantly
fitted in the NORTH, it is hoped will be found complete in every
respect.
The BED-ROOM 3 (Sixty iu number) have been famished is a
style which mast ensure the approbation of all visitors.
Gentlemen travelling with STOCK ca* at all tames have SMOW
ROOMS without any extra charge.
The Music Hall, Lecture Room, and Royal Motel Assembly Room
are all attached, and under the same management.
The Royal Hotel is is the most eestral sitsates is Newcastle.

CENTRAL METROPOLITAN DISPEN-
SARY for Diseases of the STOMACH, HEART, and
LUNGS, including CONSUMPTION, ASTHMA, &c.
Until suitable premises are engaged for this new Dispensary, the
afflicted poor may receive advice and medicine at One o'Clock, P.M.,
on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, at 14, Leicester-place,
Leicester-square, by tickets from subscribers, or on application to
Dr. Cronin ; George Alnatt, Esq., Westow-lodge, Upper Norwood,
Treasurer ; or Mr. George Isabell Soper, 46, Curzon-street, May-
fair, Secretary, by whom also subscriptions and donations will be
thankfully received in aid of the benevolent object.

REMARKS ON DWELLINGS FOR
THE LABOURING CLASSES AT BIRKEN-
HEAD—EVILS OF THE WINDOW-TAX.
BY J. HUNTER ROBERTSON, M.D.
(From the Journal of Public Health and Monthly accord
of Sanitary Improvement.)
Birkenhead has the credit of having conceived and
put into operation one of the most remarkable plans
yet formed for applying modern improvements to
dwellings for the working classes. How imperatively
such works are called for, let our Health of Towns
Commissioners and our sanitary Bills tell. If society
at large knew how very high is the rent which the
poor pay for wretched accommodation, they would
find that, even independently of kindly feeling, it
would be really a profitable investment to build good
and comfortable dwellings, which might be let at
rates not exceeding those now paid for " fever fac-
tories," as the closely-pent hovels are, with fearful
expressiveness, sometimes called.
If society would take the trouble to inquire how
largely the poor-house, the hospital, and even the
lunatic asylum, are tenantel by those who, but for
their pestilent, and pestiferous dwellings, might per-
haps have been healthy and actively-working mem-
bers of the community, they would find that, in
addition to all that the poor really suffer, the middle
and upper classes pay enormously for the dsfective
system, in the shape of increased rates and increased
voluntary contributions.
The dwellings above alluded to were built by the
Dock Company for the accommodation of the work-
men likely to be required for the construction of
the docks and warehouses ; but from their elegant
highly. finished, and substantial construction, more so
perhaps than requisite for the purpose intended, the
investment, it is to be feared, will turn out an un-
profitable one. The whole pile of buildings is
throughout fire-proof, and made to accommodate 350
families.
I shall not here enter into further particulars about
these dwellings, as they have already been so
minutely described in that deservedly-popular work,
" The Land we Live in ;" besides, as they are on
such a gigantic scale, the cost being somewhere about
50,0001., probably it will be more acceptable to give
the details of two tenements more recently erected
in Birkenhead ; the one by William Laird, Esq.,
called Morpeth Buildings, consisting of 64 dwellings;
the other by Robert Hughes, Esq , consisting of 70
dwellings.
The first of these is built on the Scotch plan, in
flats, and constitutes eight blocks, each block con-
sisting of eight dwellings, making in all 64.
Every block has a stone passage leading to the
street, from whence the staircase and doors to the
various dwellings proceed. The blocks are four
stories high, no sunk flats or cellars, and each flat is
divided into two dwellings.
The internal arrangements are much the same as
those of the Dock cottages, the dwellings consisting of
three rooms—viz., kitchen, parlour, and bed-room,
or two bedrooms, of the following dimensions :
Kitchen, 13 feet by 9 feet 9 inches. The one bed-
room, 9 feet 6 inches by 7 feet ; the other, 9 feet 6
inches by 6 feet. The kitchen is provided with a
range and oven.
Immediately adjoining the kitchen, but shut out
by a well-fitting door, is a water-closet, with an
abundant supply of water, for this and all other
purposes, from a large cistern, placed at the top of
each block for the use of the eight dwellings; this
cistern is supplied from the public works. Through
the centre of each block, from top to bottom, runs
a square shaft, containing the water and gas pipes
belonging to the eight dwellings, and a small iron
door about 10 inches square is fixed in one corner of
a recess close to the ground, through which all the
dust and dirt are swept; the dust shaft receives the
dust from all the eight dwellings by eight similar
openings, and thence descends to a very large dust-
cellar beneath the level of the house, from which it is
removed at stated periods.
Each room is ventilated by two " air bricks "
that is, a space equal to the size of a brick is left open
for the admission of air, covered within and without
by an iron grating, and capable of being closed by
an iron shutter if necessary. One of these openings
is placed near the floor for the admission of fresh air,
the other near the ceiling for the escape of heated or
vitiated air.
As to the advantages of such dwellings in a
sanitary point of view, there cannot, I think, be two
opinions ; but before parties will engage in such a
speculation, it is but natural they should satisfy
themselves as to the return they are likely to get for
their money.
Through the kindness of mr. lama “...1 Mr.
Hughes, I am enabled to give full particulars as to
the cost and return of their respective buildings.
Cost of 64 Dwellings for the Working Classes in Wood-
street, the property of Wm. Laird, Esq.
LAND.

Length of 8 blocks
Width of cottage 25 feet . .
Passage bohind
Given up to make a
12 feet street into
an 18 feet street

292 min. 3 sec. by 33, equal to 1,071
yards, 3 roods, at 30s. per yard
Contract for building 64 cottages, by
Messrs. Walker 5,965 0 0
Extras : fitting shelves, cupboards, and
tables, each cottage, 31
Architect's commission, 3 per cent. on
5,9651.

192 0 0

Perhaps we could not at the present time look
for the total abolition of the window-tax, but cer-
tainly there might be some improved mode
of assessment, and one that would not be instrumental
in generating disease. The smallest opening made
in the walls of an ordinary sized dwelling subjects the
tenant to an additional Bs. 3d. per annum ; conse-
quently cellars, privies, and the roofs of houses, are
left entirely without ventilation, the very places most
requiring it.
Mr. Hickson suggests that for every 1,000 cubic
feet covered in for habitations there ought to be
a certain number of windows or openings for light
and ventilation ; that these ought to be charged for,
whether they exist or not, and the window-tax would
no longer operate as a premium upon defective ven-
tilation. This, however, would not, I think, answer
the purpose intended, but have quite a contrary effect.
A. certain amount of space in dwellings is requisite
to health, and the plan proposed by Mr. Hickson
would be a temptation to diminish it, and would con-
sequently be productive of great mischief. If I might
venture an opinion on se intricate and important a
subject, I would suggest, that instead of taxing the
number of windows or the cubic contents, a certain per
centage should be charged on the rent of every house
exceeding 151. In this way, there would be no object
in decreasing either the dimensions of dwellings or
diminishing the number of windows, and the benefit
of this arrangement would be felt by those most
requiring it—viz., the working classes, their houses
seldom exceeding in rental 151. per annum. At pre-
sent, all houses of about this rent are constructed with
just the number of windows necessary to evade the
tax ; consequently, they are in this way rendered
deficient both in light and ventilation.
The rents of house property might be taken at
the same valuation as for the poor and local taxes,
and instead of keeping a vast number of individuals
throughout the country, in constant employment at
high salaries, for no other purpose than to annoy
people by counting their windows, the rent would at
once be ascertained by referring either to the books
of the parish or township.
I have taken every pains in ascertaining from the
tenants themselves their opinion of the dwellings in
Morpeth• buildings, and it is exceedingly gratifying
to find that they are unanimous as to their comfort
and excellent accommodation. _ _

As it may not be uninteresting, I give the exact
words of a few of the tenants as I had them from

;hemselves.

First. Tenant states—My house is most comfort-
able, well worth the rent I pay. We never have
had illness in our family since we occupied it.
No one can tell the comfort we feel in having such an
excellent water- closet, and so ample a supply of water.
I think the air-holes create too much draught. If
the rooms were from one to two feet larger, the house
would be unexceptionable.
Second. Tenant says—l think my house excellent.
The water-closet is a great comfort. The air-holes
made the house uncomfortable until we pasted paper
over them. The great fault I find with the house is
the smallness of the rooms. One foot more would
add considerably to their comfort.
Third. Tenant states—l have seven of a family.
We all like the house very much, but the rooms
are too small for so large a family. We resided
formerly in Oliver-street, and had much illness
there, but have all been in excellent health since we
came to reside here. The water- closet is a great
comfort, but the air-holes admit too much cold air.
As the windows open from the top, we could dispense
with the air-holes.
Fourth. Tenant says—l never was in so com-
fortable a house. If the rooms were only a little
larger, I would willingly pay a trifle more rent per
week. We never had such continued good health as

we have had since we occupied this house. The
principal fault I find with the house, for a family, is
the smallness of the apartments. From the manner
in which we can so easily get rid of all dust and rub-
bish through the shaft, we have always a clean house.
I don't like the way the house is ventilated.
The statements of all the tenants were nearly to
the same effect; it is therefore unnecessary to give
further examples, but I will proceed to describe the
70 cottages erected by Mr. Hughes.
They are built in five blocks, each block consisting
of 14 houses, and divided by parallel streets or
avenues of 12, 8, and 6 yards in width, the broadest
being at the back, and decreasing as they advance
towards the main street. Mr. Hughes ♦ery kindly
took me through the whole of them, and I must
say I was both astonished and pleased at their
arrangement and accommodation. They are pot
in a• -„ . -
consists of three stories and a sunk one, and has
three rooms and a kitchen of the following dimen-
sions :—each bed-room 12 feet square, sitting-room
12 feet by 9, kitchen 12 feet square. The kitchen is
provided with a range and oven. There is an excel-
lent water-closet, with an abundant supply of water
from the public works. Each of the avenues is
lighted with gas ; in fact, there appears to be no ex-
pense spared in contributing to the comforts of the
tenants.
The ventilation appears to be excellent, every win-
dow opens both from above and below, and the stair
is lighted with a gas cupola ; indeed, they have the
appearance of being built for a much higher class of
tenants than they are really intended for.
I give the cost of these seventy cottages as fur
nished me by Mr. Hughes.
, Land for 70 cottages.
2,250 yards, at IL per yard 12,250 0
Building account 10,350 0 0

12,600 0 0

Gross rental of seventy cottages
DEDUCTIONS.

850 0 0

Township rates.
70 cottages, at 30s.
per annum ...... .£lO5 0 0
Extra public gas-
lights for avenue 24 15 0
Water, 6s.per ann.
on 70 cottages. 2t 0 0

nsurancc, 4s. 6d. per cent. on
8,0001