29 NOVEMBER 1924, Page 11

[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]

Snt,—May I venture the opinion that your article on Saturday last is not only imperatively essential, but excellent alike in matter and suggestion ? The slums all over the kingdom are admittedly veritable plague spots, and virulent centres of physical and moral disease. Can the nation, or any healthy section of the nation, afford to allow any such cancer eruptions to continue close to its heart In the slums the commonweal is at war with a social evil greater than German Militarism, and any action must be as war action, in the offensive against a removable deterioration, disease, and death in the body national. A great war can only be undertaken by the Parlia- ment of the country, not by any local or sectional authority ; and against the slum enemy war measures must be put into operation, otherwise the festering areas of national malaria will never be removed.

In the Clyde district the ship-building yards are the great providers of work, and the workers and their families concen- trate round their work centres as closely as they can. But Glasgow is fortunate in an almost unequalled system of tram- ways ; while the rapid extension of road motor traffic all over the country is an increasing factor towards the solution of the transport problem ; these, therefore, are potent influences which must largely enter into any emergency or permanent housing schemes. To get people bred in the atmosphere of busy streets, brightly-lit shops, and public houses away from their familiar surroundings, and contentedly away from them, will be difficult ; moreover, in some families occupation in charing, employment of boys and girls in shops or otherwise, is essential to the finances of the household, and these aids to the home budget are possible only where the market is near

at hand. Then, there is the question of schools, churches,

hospitals and doctors ; but these and other essentials and amenities of life will gradually settle themselves.

When the War Office during the War instituted a war camp, it provided not huts only, but also the concurrent requirements of a camp. So also to some extent must it be with any housing scheme essential for the clearance of the slum areas. In the areas cleared the value of public houses and other vested interests will decrease ; and in any rebuilding scheme it will mean a lessened population, unless the licuses be built higher. It may be anticipated, therefore, that there may arise con- siderable opposition to any drastic proposals on the old cry, " Great is Diana of the Ephesians." In the East End of London there is much home work done, and many of its receiving centres may require to be removed with the houses ; but these, if necessary, might also find a place as an auxiliary in any new housing scheme, and under improved conditions. Any great clearance scheme would be a social and economic problem, and, like the War energies, one not insurmountable ; but unlike naval and military war, it would make for the saving, not the destruction, of life—for the betterment of physical conditions, without the handicap of many mutilations and grievous wounds. What Minister, however, will have the courage to move, and who will face the outcry against interference with many interests, interests not always, per- haps, for the good of the nation and the national weal ?

One word on the subject of seemliness. An emergency war camp was not always a thing of beauty, neither was it regarded as a place of permanent habitation. An emergency village, whether under Government or local authority administration, may, therefore, tend to follow somewhat similar lines ; but much is possible in its lay-out as well as in its buildings and their arrangement, and it might be further helpful if the Trade Unions would interest themselves, not only in wages, but also in workmanship, for whether in the inception of any scheme, or in its realization, it is the letter that killeth, the spirit givetlx Savoy Croft, Ayr.