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the local cost. This would cause Parliament to look at the 
sources of revenue and bring them to some of the questions he 
mentioned at the beginning, The municipalities required powers 
to acquire land outside their districts, and curtailment in the 
price of it, and it pointed to the taxation of land values, and the 
acquirement of land at a fair assessment. 
Mr. T. P. Smith said that the wages to-day were generally 
larger than in days before overcrowding, and he thought too 
much was spent in drink. 
Mr. Crossland said the question of proper living would have to 
be taught in schools. He would confiscate bad property as they 
confiscated bad and unwholesome meat. He liked the idea of 
co-operative buildings. 
The Rev. B. Winfield did not think over-crowding was the 
difficulty. It was the squalid and wretched conditions in which 
the people lived. Burnley houses were such as one could live 
decently in, but the ‘‘ soul of inprovement was the improvement 
of the soul.”’ Among the blots were the lodging-houses and 
furnished rooms, bringing into Burnley a class who would not be 
allowed harbourage in other towns. ‘l'heir magistrates were too 
lenient with this class. He often thought what a garden city 
Burnley could have been with boulevards by each side of the 
canal, whereas each street ending with the canal was no 
thoroughfare. Could they not clear out some of the public-houses 
infesting the slums ? 
Mr. Bradshaw did not believe they were more than palliatives 
for the evil. 
Mr. James Lancaster pointed out the advantage of one-roomed 
dwellings, in which so many aged people lived. Mr. Sheldon 
said these 351 houses represented only a population of 858. 
Burnley was peculiarly situated, and it would be a calamity to 
close many of the one-roomed tenements, which were kept 
respectable and clean. 
Mr. Bell said if there had been time he would have supported 
Mr. Lancaster. ‘There was too much sentiment about this 
business. What was the actual proportion of bad property to 
good in Burnley? It was a paradise compared to some towns. 
Mr. Pickles thought a second night on the subject might be 
useful. 
Replying to a vote of thanks to himself and Mr. Colbran, 
Mr. Sheldon said this should really be the “ homing question.’ 
(Hear, hear.) The experience of towns of barracks had been 
