TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 197 



the past six years, three entire courts in different localities have been taken by 

 the same Society ; and the condition of the houses, which were indescribably filthy, 

 and occupied by the lowest class of tenants, has been completely changed. The 

 number of rooms collectively contained in these courts is 275, and there is also a 

 single men's lodging house with 40 beds. The total expenditure on these new 

 and old buildings, with the land, has been £43,031 17s. 3d. 



The form in which the accounts of this Society are presented does not afford the 

 same facility for ascertaining the pecuniary return on the capital invested, as those 

 of the Metropolitan Associations do ; and one of its undertakings, — that in Portpool 

 Lane, the Thanksgiving Model Buildings, which was commenced in 1850 with 

 contributions received after the removal of the cholera, — was avowedly of so 

 experimental and mixed a character, that the pecuniary results are not a criterion 

 applicable to other cases, excepting as a caution against providing largely in one 

 building for single women. The average occupation of 64 rooms, which progressed 

 very slowly at the commencement, has not exceeded 50 to 52 ; and more stringent 

 regulations, with regard to the hours of closing, and more constant supervision 

 than in the men's lodging houses, are proved to be indispensable. The public wash- 

 house and baths, though a boon to the neighbourhood, have not been remunerative. 



The receipts and expenses of the different buildings dming the year 1852, for 

 which 1 can personally speak to the management of this Society, having then acted 

 on its committee and as its honorary architect, were, — 



Bagnigge Wells : self-contained houses and flats for 23 1 £ s. d. 



families, and rooms for 30 aged females. Outlay on \ Receipts 375 7 7 

 land £1045, building £5025. J Expenses 82 6 9 



Net return 203 10 



Streatham Street : houses for 54 families built on flats, ] r> -a. ~ 9 • ~ * 



fire-proof, and with galleries. Outlay, ground rentt -p 601 ? 1 ^ * a oo< le i 



£SO. Hnildino- £8S1fi 16*. CU Expenses ^4 18 X 



£50, building £8916 16s. Or/. 



Net return 499 9 3 



618 11 4 



George Street : lodging house for 104 men, six stories ) p • , 

 high, including basement offices, and four floors of > -r^ J* 

 dormitories. Outlay, land £1200, building £5226. ) ^P* 311368 dU0 b " 



Net return 312 5 2 



Charles Street: lodging house for 84 men formed out of) t> • t 418 4. 



three old houses, renovated and thrown into one. \ ■p- vnp JiLa 23° 5 2 



Outlay on repairs and furniture £1163 14s. Id. \ P _^ "" 



Net return 184 15 2 



King Street : lodging house for 22 men. An old house, ) t> • ^ m q S 



on the repairing and furnishing of which £135 wast - c , ecei P s no 1Q iT 



expended ( Ex P enses ' 3 13 "■ 



Net return 37 15 9 



The rents received from these houses have varied but slightly since they were 

 opened, up to the present time, and they are generally well-filled, the families chan- 

 ging but seldom. The cost of repairs is not included in the expenses which are 

 above stated ; they shoidd be taken as averaging f per cent, on new, and generally 

 from 1 to 2 per cent, on old buildings. 



Calculating 4 per cent, interest on the cost of the land, the clear return on the out- 

 lay of £19,467 16s. 0t?. on the three first-named piles, which are new buildings, is 

 5y per cent., from which, deducting f per cent, for repairs, leaves 4|- per cent. net. 

 It should, however, be observed, that the return from the Streatham Street family 

 houses is higher than from the other two, amounting to 5 per cent, net, and the 

 rents of the family houses were mostly fixed below those usually paid for similar 

 accommodation. The two lodging houses, which were old buildings and lease- 

 hold, yielded a return of about 17 per cent. ; and deducting 2 per cent, for repairs, 

 they gave a net return of 15 per cent. 



The outlay in putting the three old courts into a good sanitary state, with suit- 



