LONDON SLUMS
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.)
Sus,—Among the many interesting articles and letters about the housing question, I think no one has written in -the Spectator as to conditions in Paddington. In a great part of the borough the poor live in houses originally, intended fox the wealthy and their servants, and many of these were built at a period when a bathroom was not considered a necessity. Such houses are ill-constituted to split up into tenements of one, two, or three rooms.
There are, besides, mews-homes, the ground floors sometimes used for costers or marine stores ; upstairs the rooms are often aired by inconvenient skylights that admit rain more readily than air. The canals that intersect Paddington have been a source of trouble so far as damp is concerned, and some would add, rats ! The basements of the old tenement houses usually contain the large families unwelcome to landlords in the better (and healthier) rooms. In one of the worst areas a gallant venture has been made by the Paddington Housing Association, Ltd., to tackle this problem on the lines of Miss Oetavia Hill's scheme.
Thirty-six houses have been bought and put into repair, and the rents are collected by educated women. The houses are kept in good repair and actually a bath has been put into one house as an experiment. It is supplied with hot water by means of a small safety geyser.; and a hot bath can be had for 2d. It is thoroughly appreciated and regularly used by the tenants, and the company will install baths as space and opportunity occur. The P.H.A. feels greatly its inability to provide the extra rooms for large families—so often asked for -and would buy more houses if the funds were forthcoming. They are glad to find a tendency among the better-class tenants, who can afford the rents, to move into the outlying L.C.C. estates which are gradually springing up. This is a slow process, but perhaps on the -whole more satisfactory than the building of-large-blocks of flats w/ .ich would inevitably
draw more people from other boroughs, where the need for space is equally great.
At the same time the overcrowding in certain areas is great, and judicious building on any available small sites as they become vacant should be undertaken. It is much to be regretted that such sites have been secured for cinemas and petrol stations. It would be easier to tackle the thorny question of overcrowding if the existing law backed up one's desire to secure decency and proper accommodation for young girls, who often share rooms with adult men, fathers, brothers, or lodgers, whereas the law is only concerned with cubic space.
I have been told that one borough—is it Kensington ?— has a by-law relating to this matter. Such a by-law would immensely strengthen the hands of those who desire to place young people in work where they can sleep in. Perhaps one of your readers can give me information on this point.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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