It is scarcely necessary to say that the enforcement of this Act involves a considerable expenditure of work and time in the office of the town surveyor. The buildings which are erected on the sites dealt with under this Act are generally of the “high block” class, as it is found that the labouring man prefers to live near his work, and land is generally too expensive in such localities to admit of the erection of any other description of buildings. As to whether this class of dwelling is as healthy as ordinary cottages or houses, the following death-rates for the year 1879 will be some guide: The London Improved Industrial Dwellings 16·4 per 1000 The Peabody Trust Dwellings 17·2 „ „ The Metropolitan Association Dwellings 14·3 „ „ The Newcastle Improved Industrial Dwellings 12·0 „ „ The general death rate for the Metropolis at the same date being 21·2 „ „ It is of course necessary that the sanitary arrangements of industrial dwellings of the block type should be very perfect, and as to the manner in which they should be erected the following words of Mr. John Price, who for twelve years had lived in one of them himself, can be here given with advantage:[201] “Model dwellings are therefore most appreciated by working men when placed near the scene of their daily labour. The arrangements most preferred are those which bring the fewest families or persons in contact with one another on a flat or landing. As a rule the buildings should not exceed four stories in height; the staircases should be about four feet in width, and broken by short landings, lighted by large windows open to the external air; the window-sills should not be less than three feet from the floors for the safety of young children, and for the same reason well staircases should be avoided. The steps of the stairs should only have a 6-inch ‘rise,’ for the more easy accommodation of old people and young children; they should be fire-proof, and well lighted with gas on an evening. There should be a thick layer of deafening between the floors. The waterclosets should be placed in an offshoot from the main building, opening on to each landing, and well ventilated by open windows and air bricks. The watercloset apparatus should be as simple and effective as possible. Patents depending upon the proper working of valves and ball-cocks should be avoided, as the fruitful cause of trouble and expense; little reliance must be placed on their proper use by tenants where more than one family have access to them. I have seen excellent closets stopped up with cloths and all manner of earthenware and hardware, children of careless parents being the principal offenders; what is everybody’s duty is often most neglected. It will be found most economical in large buildings of this class to appoint a person whose duty it should be to attend to the proper flushing of waterclosets daily.