He had no doubt that a far greater number of
houses would be built this year than last year. Not all the houses by any means had been built by the Trades Unions. The number of non-union workers was in- creasing. Turning to Mr. Wheatley's Housing Act he said, in answer to the question " Will the Government repeal that Act ?. " that he himself felt on general grounds that it was undesirable that there should be constant and violent changes of policy. He thought therefore that it would. be better to allow the Act to remain on the Statute Book " at any rate for the present, and let it hang itself with its own rope." It was much more a Money Act than a Housing Act. Its effect was simply to give a far larger subsidy in place of the subsidy provided by the Act .of 1028: The subsidy had in fact been raised from. £75 per house to £240. The difference of £165 was paid simply in order that the houses should be let at artificially reduced rents. That unfortunately did not help us much, as rents depended on the cost of building. If 'the cost went up the rent increased.
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