ADVANCING STANDARD 59 



matters may at the same time reduce them 

 also to the level of the latter in regard to 

 agricultural population and production. 



Housing and Depopulation. 



The Board of Agriculture's Report on the 

 Decline in the Agricultural Population (1906) 

 makes the following observations on the lack 

 of adequate housing : — 



" Among specific causes of discontent, a 

 deficiency of adequate or satisfactory housing 

 accommodation is reported from about 30 

 counties. The details where given may be 

 referred to, but speaking generally, there is 

 evidence not only — or perhaps it should be 

 said, not so much — of an actual scarcity of 

 cottages, though this is mentioned in some 

 cases, as of a lack of cottages which satisfy 

 the more exigent requirements of the 

 labourers in these times or comply with the 

 demands of vigilant sanitary authorities. As 

 with every other class, the rural labourers' 

 standard of comfort has been raised, and they 

 are not now contented with the accommoda- 

 tion which previous generations placidly 

 accepted." 



An analysis of the detailed reports shows 

 that housing was returned as a contributory 

 cause of depopulation from 27 out of 81 

 counties in Great Britain. Of course these 

 reports are not exhaustive, and the state of 



