21 JUNE 1913, Page 17

CHEAP HOUSING.

[TO THE EDITOR OF THl " SPECTATOR.")

Sin,s—The problem of housing the working classes is now very much to the fore, and its difficulty is acknowledged by all. Various solutions are offered, but none appears to be really satisfactory. To the ignorant and uninitiated it appears impossible to find a solution as long as bricklayers are prevented by their unions from laying an economic number- of bricks in a day. Half a day's work for a whole day's pay appears to carry with it either loss to the employer or over- charge to the consumer. The working classes, the consumers• in this case, cannot afford to be overcharged ; the employers, only naturally, refuse to lose. Result : no houses.—I am,