[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] SIR,—I have read with
great interest Mr. Alfred C. Bossom's articles on " Clearing the Slums," which appeared recently in your valued paper. His plea for utilizing the open cuts of the railways through London by covering them over with a reinforced conrete floor supported on columns, on which to bulld houses to accommodate a part of the dis- placed slum dwellers, I consider a splendid idea.
I have seen the system adopted on a large scale over the railway tracks at the Grand Central Terminal and the Pennsylvania Terminal in New York City, and along the water front in Chicago. In all cases this resulted in greatly improving the districts concerned.
There is no practical difficulty in following Mr. Bossoin's plan, and it could be accomplished quite easily from a technical point of view.
There can be no doubt that if, for the purposes of such a public benefit, it would be possible to disregard the oppres- sive restrictions imposed by the various building regulations in force in. London, better buildings at a very considerably reduced cost would result. Also, as Mr. Bossom points out, a definite building programme could be drawn up before commencing the work and so avoid vexatious and expensive delays.
I wish him every success, and hope his plan will he adopted.
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