"In last year's report the Chief Officer of the Fire Brigade refers to a number of cases where the inmates were unable to escape from the burn ing building. Tam' going to quote some of the worst to you. In March some dwellings off Broadway caught fre. At frst three persons were Te-[poried injured, but later a body. was! found. This led to a search of the ruins and the discovery of the remains of four adults and five children. Total—9 dead, 3 injured, "The next month, in North Honan Road, fre broke out in a part dwelling house which had been converted into a gas mantle factory) Two girls were burned to death. Here We have a case of unauthorited alterations to premises, and their use for purposes for which they were entirely unsuited. The two girls had been working on the first floor, and finding
escape, cut off ey means the staiease, their only' "meang of of a wooden ladder to the drying /stage. The door communicating with the next stage being locked, they could get no further, and their charred bodies were' found huddled against the door.
"In June eleven persons were injured in some Chinese dwellings in Baikal Road. "Here again, escape by the stairs being cut off, they made their way on to the drying stage, and jumped Into the alleyway. In July. 'a similar happening in East Kung: ping Road resulted in injuries to five persons attempting to escape by. jumping into the street, "The worst fire of the year curred in a cotton shop in Elgin Road on October 15. Seven persons were injured by burns or In jumping from the burning building. It wag not reported that there were any more. people in the building, but later the remains of fourteen " people - were found in the debris, all of whom had been sleeping when the fire occurred, Subsequent investigation showed that that the original two-storied premises had been converted into four stories by the addition of lofts, and housed no Jess than 29 persons, comprising seven families, the ground measurement being only 109° by 324" or [34TH square feet, Typleal Cases "There were several other fires. involving deaths and injuries, but those T have mentioned are typica cases and will serve to illustrate the condition of things. Altogether there were 28 deaths and 30 persons injured during 1994. Although some of the: premises were partly used as shops as well as dwellings it may be noted that most of the fires occurred during the night when practically all available space would be used for sleeping. Undoubtedly "the overcrowded condition coupled with the structural changes andthe generat' flimsiness and inadequacy of stair: ways and means of egress contributed very largely to the heavy toll of} deaths.
"One cannot view the facts connected with the housing of the poorer classes without being convinced of the necessity, from all humanitarian angles, for something being done 10 Dung about a rapid and definite improvement in conditions which are really a disgrace and a menace to the Settlement, "That I am not alone in this view ig obvious from the comments made the press from time to time. After the North Honan Road Fire in April 1034, an editorial in the "North China Daily News" stated:—The: impression created by recent events that behind the splendid facade which the average resident in Shang-hal sees there is a masse of bulld-ing grievances which demands the speediest possible rectification... "Tt is a matter which is commencing to heavily on the consciences of the more thinking section of the population."
"Then the Elgin Road holocaust ocurred and the same journal wrote:—"Tragedy in Elgin export the need for public opinion to bestir itself in regard to housing conditions in Shanghai. Deplorable overcrowding was responsible for the heavy' loss of life in what was comparatively a small fire" And later' in the same article.... "Nor does this concern the social reformer alone. It is ital to the welfare of all who depend on the prosperity and progress. of. this vast city. In short, it Is essentially a matier on which public opinion should communicate definite Girection to the administration."
"The 'Shanghai Times' also has continuously urged on the Municipal authorities the need for some action in. this matter. An editorial after the Elgin Road fired read:—The housing problem for poor people in Skanghal jiems to be faced here.
one greatest of all the prob-"Now you may ask What class of people live in these places—these con-[gested alleyways? Investigation of an average alleyway containing about 200 houses eluted the following in-"Sixteen houses only were occupied by single families, the breadwinner jin these cases being teachers, doctor, an artist, bank employees and the like. Forly-five houses were: partly sublet, the sub-tenants being: policemen, tailors, watchmen, stall= holders in a market, factory workers, coolies, etc. The mimper of families {in the houses varied from three to nine. Rental of houses §85 per month, tin another group of 100 houses; Jonly 18 were not sublet. The rentals were comparatively low—$16 to $18 [per house—and the rents obtained for various rooms averaged as follows:—Back downstairs room, the one in front of the stair $4, The: kitchen-room $2. Upstairs, front half, $4. Back half $8. Room over kitchen $225. Covered in drying: stage $2.20, Loft in the upper floor $1.25. Of thi occupants of these houses more than 200 were employed in textile trades: 19 tradesmen: 15 rickshaw men: 13 minor SMC. employees, 12 working. tailors.
"These facts must be considered in relation to wages. 1 have no time to 0 into this aspect of the matter very deeply, Chinese hongs rent for irom about $15 per month for the older and more dilapidated buildings, to over $50 for the more modern... When you remember the wages of artisans /and clerks (who in all towns com rise the mass of the population) such rentals are obviously" beyond their capacity to pay. What can an office employee getting $35 a month afford to pay for rent? He probably has a wite and two or three children to support—possibly also one or both of his parents. So he has to. seek tone of those sub-divided houses of Jwhich I have been speaking, making. his home in a single room.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.