The debate -on -the Pill -was prolonged till Tuesday, and
showed a general approval of the measure, except on the part of one or two " Single Taxers," who would sacrifice any praetieal reform to the interests of their absurd theory. A Labour Member from South Wales said that-bad housing was the thief cause of industrial unrest ; he attributed the lack of houses in Rhondda to the negligence of the colliery-ownersand to theexorbitant price asked for land. Mr. Pretyman said thatthe scarcity of rural cot- tages was partly due to the refusal of LocaiAuthorities to provide houses for their own ernployees,where,as the landowners hadelone their part for the labourers. Colonel Reeds urged that,- like the speculative builders; the Public Utility Societies should encou rage their tenants to become owners, as workmen would- readily invest in house-property. Tudor Waiters pointed out that the State was really paying a subsidy' to cover the difference between the inflated war price of a new house and the amorm which it mightlisexpeeted to cost four or five years hence when prices.had fallen. 'That subsidy Major. Astor described se "an
insurance against Bolshevism and revolution." the money is carefully spent on decent houses, no one will grudge a penny of it. But -we must own to sharing Sir Martin Conway's anxiety lest, in'their haste to provide houses of some kind, the authorities should forget that a house should be-seemly to look at as well as water-tight, and that 'earl styles should be cherished.
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