On Tuesday in the Commons Mr. Royds moved an amend-
ment to the Address regretting that the Government proposed no means of restoring the credit and security of laud and house property which they themselves bad undermined. There was a shortage of houses amounting almost to a famine. Before the Government came into office the average increase in the number of cottages and houses annually was 135,000. Daring the time the Government had been in office the average had fallen to 85,000, and since the Finance Act was passed the average return showed an increase of 61.000 only. In the year ending last March it had fallen to 56,000. He had addressed an inquiry to a very large number of builders: "Have the Land Taxes affected the building trade in your district ? If so, kindly state as briefly as you can the effect." He had replies from five hundred from various parts of the country, and they were all practically to the same effect—that the Land Taxes had adversely affected building. The way to restore the credit and security of land was to repeal the measure which destroyed them, and to encourage private enterprise. If there were an assurance that there was to be no further legislation of the same character, there would be security once more.
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