22 THE RURAL PROBLEM 



but practically all over the country.* In one case a man 

 gave evidence before a Housing Inquiry that he had to move 

 his bed from side to side whenever it rained. Another 

 spoke of putting up an umbrella to keep off the rain in bed 

 at night. And at the same inquiry, where every kind of 

 abuse had been proved up to the hilt, the Sanitary Inspector 

 declared that he knew villages where the conditions were 

 worse, and the Local Authorities gave this as their reason 

 for refusing to act.f 



An inquiry made in 1897, extending over 4,179 cottages 

 in 78 villages, revealed that 25 per cent, were bad or 

 extremely bad, 60 per cent, had no fireplaces in any bedroom, 

 15 per cent, no water supply or a very bad one. 



Another inquiry, extending over 240 villages of about 

 10,000 cottages, revealed the fact that about one-half were 

 " bad." 



On this aspect of the subject the report of the Select 

 Committee is quite definite. 



" More than one witness has urged by way of excuse on 

 behalf of the Medical Officers and their Councils that the 

 reluctance to condemn insanitary property was due to the 

 fact that sufficient accommodation was not available, that 

 the procedure was complicated, that it would only accen- 

 tuate the evil, and that building by the Council was out of 

 the question because of the loss that would be incurred. 

 The only alternative that appeared to present itself was 

 either to render the inmates homeless or to allow them to 

 live in the surroundings responsible for much misery. 



" This contention, however, loses its force in view of the 

 absence of any effort at adequate inspection. Nuisances 

 may be suppressed and defects made good as they occur 

 without any question of demolition arising at all. If 

 Medical Officers and Inspectors of Nuisances had carried out 



* " When the owners of village slum property find it a profitable 

 investment there is a strong disinclination to attract attention to the 

 need for more or better cottages, as in the event of these beinc pro- 

 vided the bad cottages would become unoccupied. On many Hural 

 District Councils members may be found who are interested in property 

 of this kind " (Report of the Select Committee of the Housing of the 

 Working Clause* Acts Amendment Bill, 190C, 376). 



t Aronson, p. 22. 



