1st Row. Houses. Rent. Accommodation.

The next series of rows are called Lethanhill, but every one has a distinctive name given by the people. That which we called the first row has 21 two apartment houses built of brick. The kitchen is about 17 feet by 11½- feet, the room about 9 feet by 9 feet, the scullery 8 feet by 7 feet or thereby. The rent is 2s 3d a week. There is a supply of gravitation water. The paths are unpaved and very muddy. There is not a single ashpit, coalhouse, nor closet, with the exception of the wooden hutch already mentioned, which the tenants have to clean out, scattering the matter as they think fit. The boiler in the scullery is the property of the tenant.

2nd Row. Same as No. 1.

The second row is a replica of No. 1. The houses are damp, the rain having easy access at some of the front doors. If there is any difference from the first, there are fewer of those diminutive closets. Coals usually kept in scullery. Ashes and refuse scattered in front and at back in a horrible mixture. [56]

These houses are sadly in need of repair. There are 23 houses in this row.

Briggate Row. The first ashpit.

What is called the Briggate Row contains 18 dwellings, single apartments generally, with sculleries. The kitchen and scullery are of the usual size here, and the rent is 1s 9d a week. There is a supply of gravitation water, but the people complain of the scarcity of water, there being but one well for two rows. There are no washing-houses nor coalhouses. Only nine of the tenants have those wooden closets, though the others would be glad to get even one of them. The fronts and backs are, of course, unpaved, and in the usual condition of unpaved paths. There is one broken down ashpit, the first we had seen in the whole of the district. We were told there was actually one other in some other row, though we had not discovered it as yet.

White Brick Row.

White Brick Row consists of 20 single apartment houses, but a few families occupy two. Rent of single 1s 9d, double 3s 6d per week. There are also one or two originally built two apartment houses at a rent of 3s a week.

Dimensions.

The kitchens here are 21 feet by 12 feet, the sculleries 9 feet by 8 feet.

Accommodation.

There are no coalhouses, no washing-houses, no closets, but the impertinent apologies so often mentioned, and even these are not sufficient to give one to every house. The washing boiler belongs to the tenant, as in other rows.

Disease.

People complain of prevalence of epidemic disease. It would be a miracle if it were otherwise. The other remaining ashpit was found here.

Stone Row. Rent.

The Stone Row has 20 two apartment houses. The kitchens measure 17 feet by 11 feet, the rooms 9 feet by 9 feet, scullery 9½ feet by 8 feet. The rent is 2s 3d a week.

Accommodation.

No ashpit, no coalhouse, no washing-house, no closets except a few of the kind peculiar to this district, the small wooden erections.

Age.

We learned from an old man that the age of all the houses in the rows was about 60 or 70 years.

Water.

There is one well of gravitation water.

Paths.

The paths were in the usual unpaved, muddy condition. The People complain that they cannot ask any one to visit them because of the want of accommodation.

Whaup Row.

The Whaup Row has 24 houses, single apartments, but eight families occupy 16 of them as rooms and kitchens. The rent is 1s 9d for single and 3s 6d for double houses.

Accommodation. Dimensions.

No washing-houses - one woman was standing in the rain washing (27th November, 1913) - no closets, except a few a la Burnfoothill, no ashpits ; but each house had a small brick [57] built coalhouse. The kitchen measures about 18 feet by 10½ feet, the sculleries 9 feet by 6 feet. Gravitation water.

Old School Row. Dimensions.

The Old School Row is built of brick, and contains 28 two apartment houses. The kitchen is 17 feet by 11 feet, the room 9 feet by 8 feet, the scullery 10 feet by 8 feet.

Accommodation. Flooded syvors in wet weather.

The accommodation is the same as in former rows. No coalhouse, no washing-house, no closets except the small wooden one, and we were told that these can hardly be got, one tenant having had to wait years for one. The open syvor at back is very sluggish, and when flooded by rain causes shameful conditions. Here, as elsewhere, the tenant must empty his closet, with no place provided to receive contents, consequently contents must be flung out exposed on the moor.

Rents. Right to ashpit.

Rents are 2s 3d a week. This row has the right to a share in the only ashpit in the district.

Step Row. Number of families. Rents.

The Step Row has 18 dwellings, in some cases the family occupying two. The kitchen is about 17 feet by 11 feet, the scullery 9 feet by 7 feet. The rent is 1s 6d a week.

Accommodation.

There are no ashpits, no washing-houses, no coalhouses, with only a few of the small wooden closets.

Gravitation water.

There is a supply of gravitation water.

Final word.

The lack of conveniences at this large village is disgraceful, and not worthy of such an important Company as the Dalmellington Iron Co., Ltd. The people in every row gave evidence of being able to appreciate better conditions. We trust better conditions will be given to them.