THE LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL AND THE HOUSING OF THE POOR.—THE
OTHER SIDE. [To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR:] SIE,—The London County Council has only power to do that which Parliament has by Act expressly given it permission to undertake. This may be a wise limitation of its powers, but it necessarily follows that when Parliament passes a public Act permitting the Council to take a certain course of action, the public generally understand that Parliament approves of that course as wise and desirable. This has been the case with the Housing of the Working Classes Act of 1890. The Council has hitherto only carried out those parts of the Act which require it to destroy aggregations of unhealthy slams, and to lay out the land thus cleared with broad streets and healthy houses. For nine years the Council has Itoked to private enterprise to supply the much-needed dwellings required to house the hundred and twenty-eight thousand persons who are living closely packed, from four to twelve in each family, with one single room for each family. but it has looked in vain. Building has become more costly each year, owing to the rise in the price of materials,
the rise in wages, and the smaller number of bricks laid by each workman ; and owing to this cause, artisans' dwelling companies have almost ceased to build in Central London.
Public, opinion has now forced the Council to take action under another part of this Act, which grants it permission to
buy land apart from clearance schemes and to build dwellings thereon for the working classes.
There has been much misstatement as to the resolution recently passed by the Council, which is as follows:—
" That, apart from the rehousing required in connection with clearance or improvement schemes, and provided that no charge upon the rates is involved thereby, the Council do approve of action being taken under Part III. of the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890, with a view to the purchase of land and the erection of dwellings thereon, and also with the view of pur. chasing or leasing suitable houses already, or hereafter to be built or provided for the purpose of supplying housing accom- modation."
It should be noticed that, in spite of all the statements which have been made to the contrary, the Council reaffirms its Standing Order passed some years ago, that no charge on the ratepayer shall result from the building of these dwellings.
What has led to this strong expression of public opinion as shown by resolutions passed by very many local authorities, and by the very large majority (78 to 36) on the County Council, in favour of this course P Whilst, on the one hand, overcrowding in Central London has been steadily increasing and has now reached an acute stage ; on the other hand, attempts have been made by the local authorities to carry out an Act of Parliament which renders overcrowding as illegal nuisance. The following official reports will explain the strong feeling that exists that something should be done:— "The Chief Inspector of Bethnal Green reported that he had made inquiries, and there were absolutely no empty rooms or empty houses to put people into, and it appeared that the only result of serving notices for the abatement of overcrowding and following them up with proceedings will be that a large number of people will have to be put into the street, there being insuffi- cient housing accommodation for them even in their overcrowded state in the parish At No. 35 Canrobert Street, after notices had been served on the owner and occupier to abate the over- crowding, a family had been ejected, and such goods as they had had been put in the washhouse, which was the only shelter they had for some days."
After giving other cases of families being ejected on account of overcrowding, he adds :— "He had made inquiries as to rents, and had found that the houses in these streets, originally let at 9s. and 9s. 6d. per week, were increased some time ago to lls. and lls. 6d. Soon after the present owners took possession these were again increased to 18s., 19s., and 19s. 6d. per week. From inquiries he had made this increase of rents had now become general in the district, and did not by any means apply to these streets only, and it was no longer within the means of working men earning ordinary labourer's wages to provide decent housing accommodation."
What is the cure for this evil? There are hundreds of acres in East and North-East London covered with small two-storied houses which should be rebuilt with tenement buildings of
five-stories. The great railway companies should be forced by Parliament to do their duty in this matter, and provide for the poor as well as for the rich, by running frequent work- men's trains, and must, if necessary, enlarge their termini or make electric railways under their present lines to carry the suburban traffic to, say, twenty miles out of London. One rail- way company alone, the Great Eastern, has seriously under- taken this duty, and by running numerous workmen's trains at 2d. return fare has created large towns of workmen's cottages at from seven to ten miles from the centre of London. These cottages are let at about 6s. 6d. for five rooms. This, together
with electric trams and bicycles, will no doubt eventually lessen the overcrowding, but in the meantime it is the duty of the Council to do what is possible to supply dwellings near the centre, and to so plan its dwellings that it can let them with;
out any charge upon the rates.—I am, Sir, &o.,
WM. WALLACE Baum [Our correspondent misses the point. We do not believe that if the County Council embarks npon great building schemes it will be able to prevent the burden ultimately falling on the rates, however good its intentions in that respect. Suppose rents fall. Then the houses mast be let not at the cost-price rent but at the market rent, and that may be a loss. With his desire for the improvement in menus of access to the centre we are in hearty accord.—D). Spectator.]
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