Unsanitary Housing 



BY CHAS. A. HODGETTS, M.D., L.R.C.P., LONDON, &c. 



Medical Adviser to the Public Health Committee 

 of the Commission of Conservation 



THE housing question has been more particularly and pro- 

 minently brought to the attention of Canadians by Mr. Henry 

 Vivian, M.P., through the kindly auspices of His Excellency Earl 

 Grey, to whom Canadians must feel deeply grateful for this prac- 

 tical expression of his personal interest in all things that appertain 

 to the social and national welfare of our country. 



The evils of improper housing and the deleterious effect of their 

 continuance upon the individual, both as affecting his health and his 

 morals, are now generally acknowledged ; but that we should be able 

 to say that considerable of what has been written and much that 

 has been said in respect to unsanitary housing conditions in Europe 

 can be applied to Canada, comes perhaps as a surprise to many 

 who have considered that in this fair land of ours, it was impossible 

 for such evils to grow up. It is quite true the evil does exist, and 

 perhaps to a greater extent than we are free to admit; not to such 

 an alarming extent* perhaps, as elsewhere, but none the less it is 

 an evil which, if we but look for, we may find, even beyond the 

 boundaries of our larger centres of population for the nucleus of 

 many a slum has been planted even in the outskirts of civilization 

 and it will be found that, even there, some of the more serious effects 

 upon the health and morals of the dwellers are already apparent. 



Existing The following brief extracts from the writings of 



Conditions in three well known public officials indicate the conditions 



existing in at least three sections of the Dominion. 

 Regarding the province of Quebec, Dr. Elzear Pelletier, Secre- 

 tary of the Quebec Board of Health, in an excellent article on " Our 

 Unhealthy Dwellings," says: 



"As the populations of our cities increase, the dwellings 

 are huddled together, without any care being given to their 

 orientation in order to secure sunshine and light for the apart- 

 ments, and without reserving enough free space to allow the 

 air to circulate around the dwellings. The height of the build- 

 ings constructed is out of proportion to the width of the 



