52 THE BUILDING NEWS. Jan. 19, 1872.
TOWN DWELLINGS FOR THE
CLASSES.
PAPER on the above subject was read last
week before the Manchester Statistical Society
by Mr. G. T. Robinson.
Mr. Robinson said the unsatisfactory domiciliary
condition of our working classes was no new subject
to the society, but exceedingly little had been done
€o ameliorate it in Manchester. This most urgent of
social reforms was as closely connected with the true
well-being and progress of the community as the
political and educational privileges which had been
conceded. The primary cause of the pernicious
overcrowding and other evils counected with the
present state of the dwellings of the poor was un-
doubtedly the enormous growth of our large towns,
no less than thirteen millions of our population
now being urban. Of this growth and_ its
consequences the district known by the generic
WORKING
name of Manchester presented a remarkable
illustration, with its population of nearly
560,000. By its growth, it was true, the area of
the town was enormously increased, and new suburbs
were springing up; but these suburbs were not
generally available for the poorer classes. A large
portion of the middle class seized upon the houses
in the suburbs and vacated their houses in
town, which were mostly absorbed for shop and
business purposes; or, when this was not the
ease, the houses were subdivided and sublet, until
the dwellings which had served for one household
contained as many families as it once did persons.
It is not practicable that all the labouring classes
should live in the suburbs. Those with fixed and
constant employment in mills and other industrial
centres must reside near them; and those who were
employed in outdoor work, not knowing a week
before where they might be engaged, must reside
mear ifs centre, and as the circumference increased
this became a greater requisite. It was this anxiety
to occupy a position near their work which induced
‘so much overcrowding in the centre of the town.
Social prejudices almost amounting to class hatreds
~were well known to be encouraged by the growing
separation between the rich and poor classes which
this tendency involved. Although it was impossible
to renew the domiciliary connection between these
two classes, much good might be done by the
wealthier being led to take more interest in the
erection and supervision of healthy and comfortable
homes for working people, with stringent regulations
to prevent overcrowding. The want of such pro-
vision was well known to involve much immodesty,
if not immorality, to engender a great deal of
disease, and vastly to increase habits of intemperance ;
indeed, no amendment of the licensing law would
avail anything to check drunkenness while the
primary cause of much of it remained unremedied.
It was rather anomalous that a man who continued
honestly at work should be left in wretched and
unhealthy hovels, while he saw criminals return
from gaol, not pallid, but fresh looking; not
dirty, but clean; not half starved, but well fed.
Because the criminal had broken the law he was
taken out of a locality in which the death-rate was
36 in 1,000, to one where only 10 in 1,000 suc-
eumbed. No reform could benefit the poor so much
as home reform. The Legislature had weakly and
timidly put its hand to the plough, but its retro-
spective glances had been very persistent. In
endeayouring to apply a remedy to the evils too long
neglected, pioneer efforts must precede general move-
ment. Various efforts had already been made in
London and elsewhere by public companies and
private individuals. The Metropolitan Association
for Improving the Dwellingsof the Working Classes
possessed altogether eleven separate properties,
affording house room for 3,934 persons. It was a
strong illustration of the influence of wholesome
dwellings upon life that out of this population
during the year 1870-1, when the death-rate of the
the metropolis averaged 24 per 1,000, the death-rate
in these dwellings only reached 17 per 1,000, or
rather lower than the death-rate of the country
districts. To such atownas Manchester the gallery
system of building was particularly applicable, as
many sites about Red Bank, Angel Meadow, and
the other declivitous parts of the town presented
opportunities of approaching the several floors with
but few steps. But the chief advantage the gallery
system presented was the ability it afforded of placing
the dust shoots outside the dwelling, and the com-
parative ease with which the offices might be either
isolated from the house or provided with direct external
ventilation. There was also a saving of room effected
by making one staircase serve the purpose of many,
and the cost of construction was of course reduced
thereby. In consequence of the high price of land
within towns, ordinary building societies had been
chiefly suburban in their operations. It was, more-
over, a question how far it was wise for a workman | to tie himself down to one particular locality, for when times of local depression of trade came, he was either bound to the spot or compelled to part with his property at a great disadvantage, Property held by the more wealthy, and let at moderate rental to workmen, seemed to be the best plan, as ensuring that the properties would not only be better built, but also better attended to than by any other system. This would also have the advantage of inducing an enhanced interest on the part of one class of society in the well-being of the other. One means of improy- ing with profit the dwellings of the very poorest was by the purchase of old property and putting it into good condition. It was possible to make a better house provision for the working classes without any pecuniary sacrifice. He would strongly urge that some steps should be taken to do this in Manchester ; and he could not but believe that there were many who would be willing to help to do this. An attempt had been made in Salford, but assistance on a much larger scale was urgently needed. It was quite possible to do a great deal of good in the direction he indicated, and at the same time obtain such a pecu- niary result as to make the good example likely to be followed. He would be glad to communicate With any one disposed to help the movement. Al- ready several effers had been made, and it only lacked a few more to enable something to be done. ees NORTHERN ARCHITECTURAL STUDENTS’ SOCIETY. MEETING of this society was held on Tues- day evening last, Mr. W. L. Newcombe (President) in the chair. Some months ago Mr. Ralph Thompson, of Newcastle, kindly offered to present to the society a valuable gold medal to be given to the author of the best sketch or drawing from an existing building. The competition took place a short time ago, and the drawings submitted were sent up to Mr. William Burges, of London, who kindly undertook the office of adjudicator. Tis award gaye the medal to Mr. Joseph Oswald, of Neweastle, for a measured drawing of the choir of Lanercost Priory, Cumberland, and a present of books as second prize to Mr. W. H. S. Thompson, of Newcastle, for a sketch of the Dacre Tower, Lanercost. The president, in an apprupriate speech, presented the medal to Mr. Joseph Oswald, who briefly replied. The medal is of gold, in the form of a star or Maltese cross, and has on one side the armorial bearings of Neweastle, and on the other a suitable inscription; the whole design being most chaste and elegant. After the presentation a paper was read by Mr. J. H. Morton, architect, South Shields, and after a short discussion a most agree- able meeting was brought to a close. —_—_@___—_ EXETER CATHEDRAL. (
E hear from Exeter that the letter on ‘‘ Exeter }
Cathedral” in our last number is producing its desired effect. It has been reproduced in the Exeter Daily Telegram, and one result is that Mr. Scott is going down, if he is not there already. He has only, we believe, been there twice since the matter of restoration was first mooted. Our corre- spondent only echoed a feeling which existed in the minds of many people in Exeter, including, we be- lieve, the Dean. Mr. Horatio R. Snellgrove, the clerk of works. who represents himself as the ‘‘re- presentative of G. G. Scott, B.A.,” might have chosen some more appropriate language than saying, as he did, in the Hxeter Daily Telegram, that our correspondent’s observations were nothing more | than the “cackle of geese.” No doubt Mr. Snell- grove is a better clerk of works than newspaper correspondent. — —_—— THE CAMBERWELL VESTRY-HALL COMPETITION. / SPECIAL meeting of the Camberwell Vestry a was held last week for the purpose of deciding which of the eight selected designs sent in in this com- petition should be awarded the premiums. It was moved by Mr. Gull, and seconded by Mr. Sugden, “That the Vestry now proceed to reduce the plans by show of hands, the two lowest on each show to be thrown out till the plans are reduced to two. Then a final show of hands be taken to determine which of the two stands first, and that the prizes be awarded only on condition that the author gives satisfactory evidence to the Committee that the work can be completed for £8,000." It was moved, as an amendment, “ That the question be referred to some eminent architect, for him to decide as to which two plans out of the eight were entitled to the pre-
» the vast height; miums named in the advertisement.” This amend- ment having been withdrawn, Mr. Gull’s motion was put and carried, and the Vestry proceeded to the elimination of the plans. follows :—For the plan marked ‘‘ Nil Desperandum,”” 1; “ Thorough,” 1; ‘‘Experience,” 1; “ Civis,” 23; “In Foro,” 15; ‘ Well-Considered,” 23; ‘ Excel- sior,” 7; ‘“‘A l’euvre on connait l’ouvrier,” 24. The two lowest were then struck out, and the list then was—“ Thorough,” 8; “ Civis,” 23; “In Foro,” 10; ‘“* Well-Considered,” 25; “Excelsior,” 0; and “A Tceuvre on connait l'ouvrier,” 26. Again the two lowest were struck out, leaving “ Civis,” 24; “In Foro,” 10; ‘* Well-Considered,” 24; ‘* A louvre on connait Youvrier,” 25. Another vote was then taken to decide between ‘ Civis” and ‘* Well-Considered,” for both of which the same number of votes was recorded. The result was in favour of “ Civis,” and the number had consequently diminished to two— “ Civis,” and ‘A l’ceuvre on connait l’ouvrier.” The last vote was then taken, when 31 hands were held up for “ Civis,” and 26 for “A l’ceuvre on connait Youvrier.” The plan marked “ Civis” was there- upon declared to have gained the first prize. It was next resolved, ‘‘ That it be referred to the Committee to advertise for tenders, and that the prizes be pay- able on receipt of an approved tender of not more than £8,000, and to report thereon to the Vestry.” The letters of the competitors were then opened, when it appeared that the first prize was gained by Mr. Edward Power, of Walbrook, District Surveyor to the Southern Division of the City of London, and the second by Mr. William Berryman, of 78, King William-street. ere Ss. COLUMBA, HAGGERSTONE. HIS church, one of the most characteristic and artistic productions of Mr. James Brooks, has been recently erected in the Kingsland-road, adjoining the Shoreditch Workhouse. In plan it consists of a nave of five bays, with clustered columns, narrow aisles, short trausepts, central tower, and square-ending chancel, all built with red brick of pleasing tone. Here, as elsewhere, we notice the great width of the nave arcade, the studied simplicity of arch-mouldings and tracery, the dignity of proportion, solidity of the walls, and details of construction as yet peculiar to Mr. Brooks. The walls of the unlighted aisles are dividedinto panels for containing the sta- tions of the cross, by means of the brick arches which support the roof. The framing of the nave roof is left open, and the principals are brought down and supported by stone shafts resting on the cap of the nave columns. The chancel and sanctuary are groined in red brick, and open into the nave and transepts by very lofty and graceful arches. The sane- tuary windows are placed very high, and underneath are panels for the reception of mosaics of incidents in the life of our Blessed Lord. These mosaics are also to be placed round the north and south walls. The total accommodation is nearly 1,200, and the cost about £10,500; but alarge portion of this went in the foundations and in taking up and re-interring the dead. The church and schools are completed, and will, with the parsonage (which is to be com- menced forthwith), form three sides of a quadrangle. ———— COMPETITIONS. Lreps ExcuANGE AND Nrews-Room Company, Liurrep.—The directors of the company have awarded the prizes to be given for the best designs for the new building. The first prize has been awarded to Messrs. T. H. & F. Healey, Bradford; the second to Mr. George Corson, South-parade, Leeds; and the third to Mr. W. Hill, Park-square, Leeds. Wuittiesey Worknouse Comprrrrion.—The guardians received, on the 6th inst., 25 sets of plans for the Whittlesey workhouse, for 200 inmates, in answer to advertisement. On the 9th they met, and out of the lot selected four sets of plans for further consideration, from the following architects, and at the undermentioned estimated cost:—From Mr, F. Peck, London, cost £4,000; Messrs. C. & J. Nelson, Leeds, estimated cost £5,000; Mr. J. Ladds, London, estimated cost £4,500; and Mr. Oldham, of London, cost £4,500. On the 12th inst. the guardians again met, and adopted the plans of Mr. F. Peck, of London.
> Hampsreap Heara.—The Metropolitan Board of Works on Saturday took formal possession of these portions of Hampstead-heath which have been secured for the healthful recreation of the public. It was stated that by the liberality of the Lord of the Manor, the ‘ Lovers’-walk” and other classic locali- ties, supposed to have been strrendered to bricks and mortar, were readily given up to the public. The voting was as _
