1920.] 



Agricultural Housing. 



1217 



Taking the middle of 90,000 between these two estimates 

 and adding a further 10,000 for the increased need due to the 

 cessation of building during the War, 100,000 might be taken 

 as the present minimum requirement. 



The Ministry of Health estimated that 500,000 new cottages 

 were needed in the whole country. The population of rural 

 areas is roughly one-fifth that of the whole country, so that on 

 the basis of population the same figure of 100,000 would be 

 indicated. 



Tied Houses. — One-half to one-third of agricultural labourers 

 inhabit tied houses (Land Inquiry). 



So about 200,000 to 300,000 live in tied houses, and about 

 300,000 to 400,000 live in non-tied houses. 



Possibly 75 per cent, of the tied houses are let at 3s. and 

 25 per cent, at 2s. 6d. or under. This is only a rough guess. 



Note B. — The following counties had upwards of 30 per cent, 

 of the male inhabitants engaged in agriculture in 1911 : — 



Montgomeryshire. Anglesey. 



Radnorshire. Norfolk. 



Huntingdonshire. Pembroke. 



Cambridgeshire. Dorsetshire. 



Lincolnshire. Westmorland. 



Herefordshire. Oxfordshire. 



Cardiganshire. Wiltshire. 



Sufiolk. Rutlandshire. 



The proportion of the population overcrowded in the rural 

 areas of these counties ranged in 1911 from 3 per cent, to 9-3 

 per cent., and, except in the case of Huntingdon, Westmorland 

 and Rutland, was greater than the proportion overcrowded in 

 the urban areas of the same counties, which varied from 1-9 per 

 cent, to 6-2 per cent. 



In all rural areas of England and Wales 61,000 tenements 

 had more than two occupants per room, and half a million 

 people were affected ; roughly 6 per cent, of the population 

 of rural areas. 



Thirty-six per cent, of the population of rural areas lived 

 over one but not over two per room. 



N.B. — The term overcrowded," as used for the sake of convenience, 

 refers to families in which more than two persons on an average occupy 

 each room, including all living rooms. It does not allow for differences 

 in the size of rooms or represent any opinion as to what does or does 

 not constitute overcrowding, which must, of course, depend on a 

 variety of other factors, such as the age and sex of the occupants. 



Note c— The cost of building, in iowm and country, is 

 tending to approximate. A brick cottage of the type frequently 



4 M 



