ENDING THE SLUMS

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 20, 24 July 1934, Page 3

ENDING THE SLUMS

THE BRITISH CAMPAIGN

WORK OF THE PAST YEAR

SUCCESS ANTICIPATED

Tho Minister of Health has issued an appeal to all local authorities stressing the need for the "rapid and general commencement" of the programmes in tho five-year national campaign of slum clearance (says the 'IDaily Telegraph"). Disappointment has been expressed in somo quarters at the absence of'tangible signs of a marked acceleration of tho work. The public expected almost immediate evidence of progress -with the plans announced in March to: ' Demolish 267,988 houses, containing I,2so,ooo.persons j ■■ Build 286,000 replacement houses to be let at low rentals. There is a feeling of confidence, both vi Whitehall and among the municipal organisations concerned, however, that as soon as the pfeliminary preparations have been completed, the activity in all parts of the country will be sufficient to guarantee the fulfilment of the whole Perfod mme by th° eni °f th 6 fiveyear It is, claimed in Ministerial circles that any cnticism which alleges' lack of zeal or driving force is unmerited. There are 1700, local authorities conT/ w W ° matter ' and the Ministry of Health- as the circular demonstrates—is assisting them in .every possible way to speed up their schemes. The point is made that, "under the statute, a number of formalities m Ust be complied with before an authority can go ahead' with a scheme; These necessarily occupy some time. Moreover, the process of pulling down unfit dwellings must be- preceded by the provision of alternative accommodation tor the dispossessed tenants. This according to the local authorities, is at cuHies° ment On° Oftheir main' aifflPRIVATE ENTERPRISE. In his circular the Minister shows how someooff f these causes of delay and difficulty may be overcome. Another encouraging aspect of- the lrbusmg problem is the way in which private enterprise has responded to the demands made up.on it since Parliament approved in 1932, the stoppage of tine costly Wheatley subsidy.N The Socialists contended that the removal of the subsidy would lead at once to a reduction m the total housing output and vi particular, to a great falling-off- in the. erection of working-class houses The prediction has proved ontirelv wrong, and the faith of those who held that, if freed from subsidised competition, private enterprise would make the necessary contribution to the solution of the housing shortage has been justified. Statistics are now available to prove the point. In the year ended March 31 last, 266,662 houses were built— more than in any year since vthe war On tho- average, 853 houses were completed every day, excluding Sundays throughout the year. This total was considerably higher than that in the-previous record year of 1927^28— during Mr. Baldwin's administration. Moreover, only 21.5 per cent, of last year's record- total consisted of subsidised houses—compared with 75 per cent, in 1928. It is. estimated that one-haif'of the' houses built last year were for use by the working classes. This estimate is arrived at as follows:-— Subsidised houses ' 57 oqo Houses erected, without sibsidy, ' ■ of a rateable value not exceeding £13 in the country and £20 in Greater London 76,000 Total •■ ' 133,000 SUCCESS CLAIMED. / It is assumed that all, tho 57,000 subsidised houses were to let at weekly rentals. Of the 76,000 built1 without subsidy a third probably fell within the same category, and the remainder were cheap houses for sale on terms suitable to the means of their purchasers. Of the non-assisted houses in the total of 266,000: 207,000 were built by private enterprise; and 1900 were built by local autsorities. ■ • The, record is held to show conclusively that private enterprise is succeeding, and that the public purse is being relieved to a great extent of the heavy burden which'would have continued to fall upon it had the Socialist subsidy not been discontinued, except in eases where arrangements had already been entered into with local authorities. • The circular issued by tho Ministry of Health draws tho attention of housing authorities to the "vital importance" of a proper organisation, of the machinery for carrying out the slum clearance programme. " The public spirit shown in the preparation; of the programmes submitted, though no moro than had been expected by the Minister, is worthy of all commendation," it is stated. "Tho very magnitudo.of the response, however, presents an administrative problem, which must be seriously' faced if the programmes submitted are to be com* pletetl iri; the anticipated period. - "National interests requiro the completion of the programmes within tho anticipated time. The first essential step towards their successful completion is their rapid and general commence-, ment: and the Minister would impress upon all authorities the importance of getting as near as may be, in this the first year of the ,period. to the performance of the full quota of the programme of clearance and of rehousing." The circular then goes on to suggest means by which the administrative difficulties may bo. overcome as rapidly as possible. The Ministry, it is stated, is ready to give every possible • assistance to local authorities, and/has al Teadv substantially increased tho staff in the-Housing Division of the Ministl7v ■