[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]

Ste,—We read with interest the article on Rents and Profiteer- ing—by " W."—in your issue of the 9th inst. We sympathize with his point of view, but we venture to give some more definite particulars on some of the points raised. Although one and a half million new houses have been built since the War, the shortage of houses (or flats) for persons working in large towns—who for the sake of their work are obliged to live on the spot—is still acute : the demand still very much exceeds the supply : in rural districts the deficiency has, to a great extent, been met.

The high rents charged for houses and rooms " decontrolled " is a grave scandal ; we endorse the fact that immediately " decontrol is obtained the rents soar to heights beyond all reason : in many instances rents have been doubled. Rooms let at 8s. controlled have been raised to 16s., and so on. It is true that families moving out of the centre of London to the outlying estates, in some instances find the rents and fares beyond their means, and are obliged to move back—whenever they can obtain accommodation.

We are informed by the Housing Committee of the L.C.C. that for the year 1929-1930 :—

No. of tenants moved away of their own

accord.

Total No. of dwellings on all Estates .. 34,578 .. 2,467 — 7.1% Total No. of dwellings at Becontree and Dagen.

ham .. .. 17,852 .. 1,552 -- 8.6%

In addition, on all the estates 1,400 families transferred from one to another of the Council's estates, and 776 removed under Notice to Quit from the Council. The percentage of removals from the Council's dwellings is now very much less than before the War, when about one third of the Councils tenants on an average removed every year.

The St. Pancras House Improvement Society, of which the Rev. J. B. L. Jellicoe is the chairman and organizer, rehouses its existing tenants living in the old houses—in new flats—at the original aggregate rents. That it to say, it was commonly found that a family rented two rooms (in the old tenement houses) at an average rent of Os. per week (inclusive). The basis of charge for the new flats, therefore, is 4s. Od. per room—sculleries and bathrooms being " thrown in." A two- room flat with bathroom and scullery is 9s. per week (inclusive) and so on.

Referring to the handbook issued by the L.C.C. on its housing estates, the rents for the year 1928-29, charged for a

5 room house or flat ranges from 13s. 5d. to 23s. I Id.

4 room house or flat ranges from 108. Id. to 22s. 6d.

3 room house or flat ranges from 8s. 7d. to 19s. 3d.

In the case of the low wage-earner of £3 per week or less, the rents of the L.C.C. and local councils are in most cases too expensive—and we take this opportunity of stressing once again the importance of providing adequate accommodation for these persons at rents within their means—from 108. to 335. 6d. per week (in London). It must be understood, however, that one of the reasons for the comparatively high rents charged by the Local Authorities as against Public Utility Societies, is that the former have to borrow at five per cent., and the latter frequently borrow from a voluntary public at three per cent. or less.

r On the whole we feel very strongly that the Rent Restrictions Act is beneficial, and it is to be hoped that it will be retained— so long as the housing shortage is so acute. The control of furnished lodgings, houses and flats is badly wanted, and it is desirable that more stringent by-laws should be enacted. Legislation on this point would be extremely beneficial.—We

90 Seymour Steed, \'.W. 1. EVELYN E. PERRY.