UNSANITARY HOUSING 41 



stand almost in the same relationship to respiratory-pollution 

 as typhoid fever does to filth-pollution. The respiratory dis- 

 eases apart from phthisis are also influenced by impurities of 

 the air, and afford some measure of their effects, just as diar- 

 rhoeal diseases apart from typhoid fever, are regarded as 

 bearing a relationship to impurities of the soil." 

 What are the housing conditions as regards rooms in Canada? 

 The Census of 1901 shows there were 46,154 one-room houses; 

 74,715 two-room houses; 97,674 three-room houses. The one-room 

 houses or homes were distributed as follows: 



British Columbia, 9,915; Manitoba; 7,524; New Brunswick, 

 1,479; Nova Scotia, 1,113; Ontario, 8,484; Prince Edward Island, 

 204; Quebec, 8,556; Territories, 8,879. 



It is simply a matter of conjecture what the present housing 

 conditions are; but speaking from observation which is limited to the 

 eastern portion of Canada, I fear there has been no betterment, 

 rather a retrogression. 



That marked improvement, as shown by the lowering of the 

 death rate, follows the improvement in the housing conditions of a 

 city, is shown by the vital statistics of Offenbach am Main, which 

 city has done much for the housing of its citizens. In the ten years 

 from 1870 to 1880, the city death rate was 23.6 per thousand. From 

 1880 to 1890, it was 20.8. From 1890 to 1900, it was 18.5. In 

 1908, it was 14.1. Every year of the last decade has shown in- 

 creased activity and every year has seen the death rate a little 

 lower.* In this German city, modern methods of housing and of 

 general improvement in standards of living are saving from nine to 

 ten more lives out of every thousand to-day than were saved thirty 

 years ago. 



In Birmingham, England, for instance, 351 infants die out of 

 every one thousand born in the crowded ward of St. Mary's, as 

 against 65 out of every thousand of Bournville, less than four miles 

 distant. These are but two instances out of many others that 

 could be quoted. 



Administra- After attention has been directed to some of the 



tive unsanitary housing conditions now existing in Canada 



Inefficiency an( j ^elr cause s, it may properly be asked what the 

 health authorities are doing that such evils should exist? It may 

 be argued that, even under existing laws and by-laws, local medical 

 officers of health might have minimized the unsanitary conditions 

 now existing. Yet this officer is not always to blame, for, as a 

 rule, he has to take his cue from the local board and too often is 



*The Healt h of the City, Hollis Godfrey. 



