20 THE RURAL PROBLEM 



was experienced in dealing with this condition owing to the 

 fact that there was usually no choice of other and more 

 commodious residence to the families concerned." * " If a 

 house is condemned, there is no other for the people to go 

 to."t 



The lack of cottages, as many Poor Law Guardians know, 

 is sometimes the cause of families coming to the workhouse. 

 In one case a man threw up his employment for this reason, 

 and an inquiry by the Guardians proved that in the whole 

 Union of some 40 villages there was not a single cottage avail- 

 able. In the next Union a similar case occurred. The Wrox- 

 ham case, in which, owing to a change of landlord, several 

 tenants were given notice to quit, brought this aspect of the 

 matter prominently before the public in Norfolk some time 

 ago. There were no houses anywhere, and some 40 persons 

 were temporarily provided for, partly by their neighbours 

 and partly in boat-houses, until an old railway carriage 

 was purchased by public subscription, where most of them 

 lived, huddled together, for nine months, until the local 

 member of Parliament had built six new cottages, in default 

 of any other solution of the question. 



But what need is there of further witness ? The Select 

 Committee reported in the following terms : 



" The Committee have had abundant evidence before 

 them as to the insufficiency of cottages in rural districts. 

 Cases have been brought to their notice in which people 

 have had to leave a village because of their lack of house 

 accommodation, while others have been prevented from 

 coming to live in a district because no house or cottage was 

 to be found fit to live in, and there was no one financially 

 interested in meeting the demand by building. The house 

 famine in town and country which often exists in regard 

 to the working classes is incontestable. The many investi- 

 gations, Royal Commissions on Housing and Labour, etc., 

 Select Committees of the House of Commons, and official 

 departmental reports have placed the fact beyond con- 

 troversy." 



* Grantham. 



f Oundle, Northamptonshire. 



