ENGLISH LAKES AREA
CROWDS OF EVACUEES £4; WEEKLY FOR ROOMS COMPLEX POSITION LONDON, Jan. 14. Many people who can afford to do so' have moved- into the Lake District, and,'tfi‘dir presence is causing some embarrassment to billeting officers and creating what one of thefn calls “an . absurd position which only immediate and: determined action by the Government ,eah prevent from defeWjSlttg'.‘''into a serious situation,” stated the Manchester Guardian. Some, of the places are scheduled to receive “official” evacuees, but the peace-time population has been doubled, and nearly trebled, by “private” evacuees, With the result that if people are sent there by'the Government from dangerous areas it will be-impossible- to- house them unless the authorities use their powers and eject the people already in possession. The position is such that the South Westmorland Rural District Council. has informed the Ministry of Health - that it cannot carry out its commitments under the existing schemes because the .district is crowded already. Little Chance for the Poor Recently 150 school children were seht td Kendal, which is scheduled to receive 4000 evacuees, and it took 10 to’ find accommodation for them, • Mr. G. E; Spencer, a billeting officer in the district, said yesterday that the householders Who have assisted the billeting authorities by taking official evacuees are indignant that those who have refused to co-operate are now “making a good thing” out of .people-who are prepared to pay virtually anything for a room. From £2 to £4 a week, he said, was being charged far any kind of single room; and board: rind attendance were extras. PlaicCs which were glad to pedfrTe ori Walking holidays for 3s 6d for bed and breakfast were now getting 12s 6d, and mineral waters sold at one shop for 4d were, costing 8d at another. “The poor,” he said, “have hardly the slightest chance of securing re-fuge-iri such a district, and the towns are thronged with crowds of people fat-in excess of any holiday peal? period Country people who wish to dale the limited buses to travel into town, to shop, are often unable to do so because they are packed full by through passeiigers—private evacuees who are killing time.” Suggested Remedy Mt. Spencef suggested that all householders who have people with theto Who Were not there at the time of / national registration should be compelled to make a return of their names, and, accept them as official evacU'ees. Billeting forms at the standard rate could then be issued, and the Wfsolis: Covered by the forms could' be assessed oh their means for a. cejjfribtttiori payable to the funds of an eyacuatiori Scheme. If this arid compulsory billeting were introduced Ureas, all evacuees apd: householders would be put on the-same footing, rich and poor alike, he said.
By cancelling the present allocation of.' reception areas to certain evacuation areas, he added, flexibility would be given in the matter of trans. port? arid the total of accommodation ayaljable iri any area would be known from, week to week. Then, in emergency. large numbers could be quickly accommodated.
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Bibliographic details
Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20486, 21 February 1941, Page 2
Word Count
508ENGLISH LAKES AREA Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20486, 21 February 1941, Page 2
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