MUNICIPAL HOUSING SCHEME.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18187, 25 September 1924, Page 5

MUNICIPAL HOUSING SCHEME.

CONCRETE DUAL SLAB CONSTRUCTION. The building of homes for the working classes has, during recent years, provided municipal bodies in all countries with one of the most urgent and perplexing problems of modern times, says the "Daily Mail." Various policies have been followed by different authorities with varying measures of success, but it can . reasonably be claimed that in Great Britain the work has been tackled on a larger scalo and with more success than in any other country, although tho problem in Britain is as yet far from being completely solved.

In most of tho big industrial cities, as well as in the metropolis, \cry ex* tensive schemes have been and are being promoted, and in numerous di»t tricts the authorities concerned have slioivn commendable enterprise in utilising the advantages offered bv modern inventions in constructional methods, new materials and up-to-date plant. This especially applies as regards the building of concrete houses. Generally speaking, however, the manufacturers and promoters of these newer methods have found that there is more scope in overseas countries, where greater freedom is enjoyed from the trammels of tradition. Tho financial side of the question still remains the stumbling-block to progress, and all sorts and conditions of proposals are continually being put forward in the attempt to bring housing work nearer to being an economic proposition. The London Master Builders' Association has recently submitted a scheme to the British Minister of Health for enabling persons to become owners of their houses by means of

the instalment system of payments. It is suggested that the scheme should only apply to persons earning £lO per week or less. The committee suggested that the Government should arrange a programme of 500,000 houses to be erected in ten years at a gross maximum cost of £650 (inclusive of land and incidental charges), towards which a subsidy of £IOO should bo granted. That would mean a total State subsidy of £50,000,000 and tho local authorities would be required to supervise tho work, collect'tho instalments, and have power to re-sell a house when any default made such a course necessary. The scarcity of skilled labour has in many localities reduced tho housing problem to one of man power. This is a point that will be readily appreciated in numerous overseas districts. Various systems of pier and double nancl construction with large concrete labs are now being adopted as offering the readiest means of overtaking the housing shortage. Walls of this description can be erected with unskilled labour. Unskilled Men. A number of houses built on the dual slab concrete system have recently been finished at Lochend for the Edinburgh Corporation. They were erected by direct labour, mostly unskilled men reeruitecl from tho local unemployed.

On this samo .estate another big schemo has just been commenced comprising 1000 dwellings, all of which are to be erected on the dual slab-system. It is expected that all the houses will bo ready for occupation before the end of the year. At the inauguration ceremony the Convener of the Housing Committee explained the extent of tho schemo. The 1000 houses were estimated to cost £450 each, and in consequence of the simplicity of tho system would give employment to a large number of unskilled unemployed. A proposal recently submitted to the Manchester City Council related to the erection of fifty houses at Burnago on the "all-electric" principle, each house being supplied with electricity for lighting, heating, cooking and washing purpof/s.