Sin,—You remarked in a recent issue that to check the
rural exodus a cottage must be invented costing £100, let at £6 a year. I wrote to you to point out that a four-roomed house can be built for a little over £100, and to press for the assist- ance of the central Government to provide such houses. Your correspondents, Mr. Rider Haggard and " G. H.," express some doubt as to my figures. I have myself built about sixty cottages, and am building about forty more. I have never used the same design twice, and have been careful to ascertain as exactly as possible the cost of each cottage.
I do not feel sure that I have yet arrived at the cheapest pattern, but I can certainly build four-roomed cottages in blocks of three or four together, with drainage and woodshed, for £110 a cottage. Of this .C110 I calculate that not less than £5 is spent in making the appearance inoffensive. The blocks are nearly always of white rough lasted brick, with red Bridgwater tiles. If single or double cottages were built, the cost would be a little higher, and the appearance disagreeable. It is im- possible to build a four-roomed house which will not be too high for its length.
If your readers should wish to see these cottages and judge of their quality and appearance, I will gladly send a photograph to any one who asks for it. Later on I hope to offer exact details of the cost of each item of material and labour. Two blocks of these cottages can be seen at Forest Row, Sussex. This village is in the district of the wrong-headed District Council whu are now pulling down Mr. Wilfrid Blunt's new wood cottages. I lately approached their clerk on the subject of amending the by-laws. He explained to me that it was felt to be unfair to persons in the district who had built cottages under restrictive by-laws to allow cheaper cottages to be built.
Mr. Rider Haggard seems to be convinced that no cottages should have less than three bedrooms. Are we so likely to get even two ? Why, in one of this month's magazines a Midland village is mentioned where thirty cottages have one bedroom each. The Times of to-day (September 12th) reports a case at Brixworth where a labourer living in a one-bedroomed cottage was ordered to reduce the overcrowding of his house by sending his children to the Union. And after all, there are many old couples, and more young couples. It is desirable that they shall not be forced to take either a larger house than they need, or two rooms in a house belonging to some one else.
I entirely agree with Mr. Rider Haggard that the evil cannot be removed by philanthropy. The cottages must pay their way ; the landowner should only be asked to be less of a dog-in-the- manger, and allow nesting room for villagers as well as partridges. Who will do the building then ? It will not be done completely until the central Government undertakes the financing of the work. But some progress might be made if a Peabody or Guinness fund were forthcoming for rural districts. If a millionaire will advance £100,000, five cottages can be provided in each of two hundred congested villages, the lender will receive his 4 per cent., and make a mark, which I can, assure him will not be disfiguring, on two hundred insanitary villages. Half-a-crown of rent a week allows 4 per cent. and a margin ; and at this rate he will not find that the poor in a lump are bad rent-payers.
—I am, Sir, &c., A. H. CLOUGH. Burley, Ringwood.
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