Science and Physical Development 



The present writers have stated elsewhere 1 their 

 belief that the solution of the problem is not to 

 be found in clearing and rebuilding large areas 

 by the municipality. They note that their views 

 are endorsed by the Committee, who urge, in 

 Mr. Booth's words, " that interference by adminis- 

 trative action and penalties at each point at 

 which life falls below a minimum accepted stan- 

 dard is the way by which the problem must be 

 approached, and the occupation of overcrowded 

 tenements seems to afford the best opportunity 

 for the application of the doctrine." " Surely the 

 time is ripe for dealing drastically with a class 

 powerless to extricate itself from conditions that 

 constitute a grave menace to the community." 2 

 This drastic dealing should, they think, take the 

 form of treating overcrowded houses as a nuisance, 

 and fixing a date after which no one-roomed, two- 

 roomed, or three-roomed tenements would be 

 permitted to contain more than two, four, or six 

 persons respectively. The present law is sufficient 

 to enforce compulsory closing of tenements in 

 case of non-compliance with these conditions, 

 but, of course, the change should be introduced 

 gradually. Most of the displaced persons would 

 obtain accommodation under the ordinary con- 

 ditions of supply and demand, and "in the last 

 resort the State, acting in conjunction with the 



1 "Recent Progress in the Housing of the Poor" (C. H. 

 Denyer) ; Economic Journal, vol. vii. pp. 487-502 ; " Good 

 Citizenship," pp. 113-145 (J. E. Hand). 



2 Report, p. 17. 



17 B 



