WAITING ROOMS.

151

APPENDIX No. XXX.

Report upon the Expense, Receipts, and other Particulars connected with theWaiting-rooms and Washing-places in the Exhibition DuildiSg.

The total amount expended in constructing and fitting-up the ~ ■ s - d.

Water-closets and Washing-places was about - i ,500 o o

Furniture, about - -- -- -- -- - 100 00

Total, about - - £1,600 o o

The Waiting-rooms were situated near the Refreshment-courts, those in the Transept being mostfrequented; the price was made higher, in order to induce the public to go to those which were not socentral. No difference was made in the mode of fitting them up, or in the attendance. The Urinals forgentlemen were not charged for; 54 of the latter were provided. It would have been convenient ifmore accommodation had been provided in the Ladies Waiting-rooms, especially in the Transept.

The following was the number of Waiting-rooms provided for each locality :—

Gentlemen. Ladies.

Transept ----- 6 24

Eastern Refreshment-court - 6 11

Western ,, 10 12

Total.

3 °

17

22

Clmrgo.I d.

Total

22 47 69

Waiting-rooms.

The current expenditure was as follows:— £. s. d.

Proportion of expense of Superintendence - - - - - 76 18 9

6 male attendants --------- - 188 o o

10 female ,, - -- -- -- -- - 204 10 o

Repairs - -- -- -- -- -- - 92 15 6

Sundries - -- -- -- -- -- - 109 13 o

Total ----- £671 17 3

£. s. d.

The current receipts for Waiting-rooms for each day are givenin Appendix XXXIII., and amount to ----- - 2,441 15 9

Excess of receipts over ordinary expenditure - - - £1,769 18 6

Washing-places £_ s j .

Proportion of expense of Superintendence - - - - - 81011

3 Male attendants --------- - 87 00

Female - -- -- -- -- -- - 6170

Soap 532 lbs. - -- -- -- -- -- 15150

Towels - -- -- -- -- -- - 34 20

Washing towels - -- -- -- -- - 73 o 9

Miscellaneous - -------- - 190

Total expenditure ----- 281 4 8Deduct value of towels, &e. - - - 8 10 o

The receipts, as shown in detail for each day in AppendixXXX 1 I 1 ., amounted to - -- -- -- - 443 17 6

Excess of receipts over expenditure - - - - - - £1712 10

(Signed) L. L. Hoscawkn Ibbetson.

From the annexed table it will appear that the largest receipt from the Waiting-rooms on any one daywas on the 8th October, and amounted to 32 1 , 16s. 3 d .; 011 which day, 11,171 persons made use of theWaiting-rooms. The number of visitors was on the same day 109,760.

O11 that day each of the id. Waiting-rooms must have been used by 229 persons, and the $d. by 169persons, during the eight hours the building was open to the public.

It will appear also from the same table that 827,820 persons paid for the use of these conveniencesduring the time of the Exhibition, or 14 per cent, of the visitors, in addition to an equal if not largerproportion of gentlemen who made use of the urinals, of which no account was kept. No apology isneeded for publishing these facts, which, throughout the whole time of the Exhibition, stronglyimpressed all concerned in the management with the necessity of making similar provisions for thepublic wherever large numbers are congregated, and with the sufferings which must be endured by all,but more especially by females, as the figures in the table will testify, on account of the want of them.

These statements will also show that in England, as well as in France , such establishments may bemade perfectly remunerative. II. C. O.