HOUSING 15 



V. Housing 



As has been pointed out, even after the establish- 

 ment of Wages Boards it is improbable that wages 

 will be raised for some considerable time in the 

 lowest paid districts to a level which will enable 

 the labourer both to feed and clothe adequately 

 himself and his family and to pay an economic 

 rent for his cottage. The housing problem is so 

 immediate that new cottages must be provided 

 without delay. It is unreasonable and useless to 

 expect that the dearth of cottages will be met to 

 any large extent by private enterprise. And 

 experience has shown that local authorities are 

 unwilling to build, unless assisted by the State, 

 in what they rightly consider a national work. 

 It is, therefore, necessary that annual grants 

 should be made to local authorities as provided 

 by the Unionist Housing Bill. That Bill would, 

 at the lowest estimate, provide the rural districts 

 with 125,000 cottages if its administration were 

 carried out effectually ; and such a number of 

 cottages would go far to meet the existing 

 admitted shortage. The necessity of providing 

 cottagers with gardens and allotments has already 

 been discussed. 



Schemes might also be considered in this con- 

 nection for the housing of town artisans in the 

 country. How desirable it is for urban workers 

 to have a little land to give them occupation 



8 





