The Building Lag In considering progress already made in building
new houses under the five-year slum clearance scheme, it is fair to remember that Sir Hilton Young never promised or expected that the necessary average rate of building would be attained in the first year. But the comments of the Public Relations Committee of the Building Industries National Council are none the less disturbing. It points out that the provision of the promised. 285,000 houses demands the construction of 57,000 houses a year. Since only 12,789 houses have been built in the first eleven months, or, say, 15,000 in the first year, the requirement is an average of 65,000 a year during the next four years, and probably at least 75,000 a year during the last three years. It is clear that acceleration on that scale will only be possible if unrelaxed pressure is kept up on the local authorities both by the Minister of Health and public opinion ? But that is not all. The local authorities are shortly to be provided with a new task, that of providing more dwellings. under the projected overcrowding legislation. Never before have the enterprise, initiative and organizing power of these bodies been .put to so severe a test. Is it wise to base everything on-the assumption that- they will be equal to so severe a strain ?
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