I2l6 



Agricultural Housing. 



[mar.. 



The Government ideal is to arrive, later, at an economic rent, 



based on the cost of building in 1927, when they hope we shall 



have arrived at the post-war normal conditions, and when 



costs may have fallen by 30 per cent. Post-war rents must be 



a great deal higher than pre-war, and it is absolutely necessary 



to reconsider the figure of 3s. which is at present the maximum 



rent for a tied cottage. It will be impossible to say to local 



authorities that they should charge ys. rent, and at the same 



time say to the private builder that he may only charge 3s. 



for an identical cottage in the same area. We must bear in 



mind the necessity for other houses in rural areas than those 



for agricultural workers, and we must consider the difficulty 



which local authorities would experience in attempting to let 



houses in the same area at different rents. In pre-war days 



the agricultural labourer would, in miany cases, have been 



prepared to pay a higher rent for a better cottage. While the 



cost of living has doubled, agricultural wages have more than 



doubled. On the information available I do not think it 



would be unfair to say that the initial rent for an agricultural 



cottage should be at least 7s. to los. By this I do not mean 



that it is desirable that the rent of all the old cottages, many of 



which are far below our present standard, should go up to the 



same figure as for good new cottages. In 1927 it will be 



necessary to arrive at a very substantial increase and so in all 



probability there should be an intermediate rise on the proposed 



initial rents, say in about two or three years' time. The fact 



is that we must put rural housing on a commercial footing as 



soon as possible and get away from anything savouring of 



charity or subsidy. No industry can really exist without 



being placed upon a sound economic basis, and if the rural 



exodus and agricultural depression are to be checked we must 



get on to that basis as soon as possible. 



****** 



Note A. — It is estimated that about i,oco,ooo rural houses 

 are occupied by the working classes, of which possibly 60 to 

 70 per cent., i.e., 600,000 to 700,000, were occupied by persons 

 solely employed in agriculture, and their families. 



Need Joy New Cottages. — In 1913 the Land Inquiry estimated 

 that 1,200,000 rural houses were occupied by working classes, 

 and that an addition of 10 per cent, was needed to meet 

 immediate housing requirements. 



The Land Agents' Society regarded both these figures as 

 over-estimates, and considered that 60,000 new cottages would 

 be sufficient for agricultural workers. 



