I2l8 



Agricultural Housing. 



[mar.^ 



erected before the War, costing £350, would now cost at least 

 ^^700. But local factors, such as the accessibility of materials, 

 the nature of the site, etc., as well as the accommodation 

 provided, affect the actual price. 



There are some new methods of construction and some very 

 old ones which appear to offer hopes of reduction in cost. 

 Pise de terre, cob and chalk may be suitable for some areas. 

 Particulars of cost are not yet available, but it is thought that 

 they should be substantially below brick. 



Timber offers some advantages in speed of construction and 

 price. 



At the other end of the scale a number of quite new types of 

 construction in concrete and steel, and concrete have been 

 approved by the Ministry of Health. Some of these houses 

 are capable of being produced in large numbers and rapidly 

 erected. In many districts an economy of about £150 may be 

 possible by use of these methods instead of brick. 



Under the Housing (Additional Powers) Act just passed a 

 subsidy of £150 will be paid to landowners, farmers or others 

 erecting houses within 12 months for the working classes under 

 certain simple conditions. In the cases of cottages built by 

 local authorities the State is prepared to permit their sale on a 

 basis of two-thirds of the cost of erection, and in calculating 

 rents is prepared to wipe off one-third of the present cost of 

 erection. 



The probable cost of a rural cottage with standard accom- 

 modation wiU range from £500 to £750, so that either for the 

 purpose of sale or for calculating the economic rent the cost of 

 erection may be estimated roughly at from £350 to £500. 



Assuming that the State bears the loss on one-third of the 

 present cost of building, the economic rent of cottages of which 

 two-thirds of the building cost was — 



£35^ would be To/8 per week (total cost £525) 



£^00 „ 12/3 „ ( „ ;^6oo) 



£450 „ 14/- „ { „ £675) 



£500 „ 15/5 ( » £750) 



taking the rate of interest at 6 per cent, and the usual allowances 

 for repairs, etc., in each case. 



Note D. — Wages and Rents. — The special investigators ap- 

 pointed by the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries reported in 

 December, 191 8, that the average cash wages of the ordinary 

 agricultural labourer were i6s. (^d. in 1914 ; this figure nearly 

 agreed with those estimated by the Central Land Associatioa 

 and the Rural League in 1 912 -13. 



