DWELLINGS FOR WORKPEOPLE.
Ar the new port of Birkenhead, which is -rising up to be a great town before our eyes, a practical experiment is in progress, highly interesting to the working-classes. The town is planned on a liberal and foreseeing view, so as to avoid the sources of discern- 'fort-and ill-health which afect those cities that grow up by hap- -hazard—with -well-arranged streets, public grounds and a com- plete-system of 'drainage. To the place have been brought large fineksef workpeople, for whom it has been necessary to provide dwellings ; and in doing -this for their workmen, the Birkenhead !Dock Companyhttve seized the opportunity of dealing with the 'matter in so complete a way as to make a model for others to 'fellow. They -have taken into account the cost, the profit to the -owner, the comfort of the inmates, and the general comfort of 'their neighbours. They have found it a better economy to build large houses rather than cottages; theyhave adopted a plan pre- 'pared by Mr 'Charles Evans Lang, of London ; and the buildings -eve now in progress. The ground which they are to occupy lies between -two -of eight streets that meet in a circus, and may be 'described as- a triangle'; 'acrosswhich, fromstreet to street, houses isre.erected in rows, with alleys between ; there is a•school-house tat the apex of the 'triangle, and in the centre of the circus t handsome ehurch. Each row resembles what in 'Scotland is 'called a" four Stories high, -comprising several dis- tinct houses, 7 and ,on the fourth side is the fire-place : nearly the half of the room, towards this fourth side, is left without any door or other pperimg, so that the hearth is removed from direct draughts. In 'this room there is a gas-pipe, for light. The" yard" is a sort of .scullery, but comprising the sink, coal-hole, dust-hole, &c. ; in short, allthe " domestic offices," packed into a very close space, hut 'fitted with conveniences not always found even in the houses of'the middle-classes. Up the whole height of the building is a lahaft, with which pipes from each yard communicate : at the top s cistern with a preparation for keeping it full, to the extent of one thousand gallons of water; from which, independently of in- .dividual use, a stream can be at pleasure made to rush down the *haft, carrying away theicierala into the sewer, into which the eitaft rims below. There is in that respect the -most complete means for securing tidiness decency, and health. The mde- 'pendent run of water will be a guard against many of the evils • .eren of individual negligence ; but it is inconceivable that with such conveniences the humble tenants should not acquire the hetterhabits that await on opportunity. At the top of the building 'is -an "'airing flat," in which all the families whose dwellings open into the 'common staircase will have the right to dry their clothes. There is, we believe, some means of regulating the temperature of the whole pile of buildings: at all events, there are appliances to secure thorough ventilation ; and the whole structure is fire-proof. The external aspect of these dwell- ings for the poor is handsome, and even imposing ; in a style so ornate as quite to relieve them from the aspect of alms- 'houses; to which, indeed, they bear no sott'of resemblance. Now dt is -calculated 'that this kind of house-property will "pay," wren as a 'commercial speculation : with all this convenience, 'salubrity, and comfort for the tenant, and let to -him at the rent vrhidh he usually pays,—the landlord, too, settling all rates and either charges, so that the tenant will pay for the whole house, its gm-light, water, taxes rates, and all, one fixed weekly charge"— with all these unwonted comforts and facilities, the tenant paying ''no more rent than he is used to -pay for bad lodging elsewhere, 'the landlord will yet reap a profit of 8-or 10 per cent on the capi- tal al invested. In the present instance, that snot the whole ad- - vantage derived by the landlords, the 'Company; for they-will find great immediate convenience in the concentration of their leorkpeople, and great benefit may be expected by all 'who have -a stake in the -town from the improved salubrity and the 'high - character which these far-seeing -plans must secure for it. The experiment may prove to. the speculative builder, that he could ''provide for the humbler classes a very superior kind of accom-mo- '-tafionatt-a-profit tolimseif ; it may teach-those classes what tlgy should-W*4mhz thein money.
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