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a general way into two divisions, those able to live away from
their work and those not able to do so. There is evidence to
show that the first group is a rapidly increasing one, and the
need of many of the workers to live near their work is a
diminishing need. Particulary will this be so, as means of
transit are improved.* Notwithstanding this, there will be for
many years to come a considerable population of persons who
must, or will, live near their work. For this population who are
immovable, accommodation must be found. Secondly, Central
London inevitably tends to become like the City of London,
namely, a place for business development and commercial
premises. On this account the price of land and the cost of
building dwelling houses on a large scale, to let at low rents, are
absolutely prohibitive. The prices are such as can only be paid
for commercial concerns. It is an inevitable change which it is
in the main impossible to prevent. Kather is it desirable to meet
the change and recognise it as an increasing factor in the future.
It is as useless as it is undesirable to attempt to stem it. All it
needs is guidance, supervision, and direction.
It is, of course, this change, the increasing value of land in
Central London, which has led to the density of buildings per
acre, and which of itself is an aggravation of the housing problem.
Whereas the number of houses (dwelling-houses and business
premises) per acre in the administrative County of London is
approximately 8*2, in the Central Districts it rises to 19 and 21.
It is obvious that this diminishes open spaces, and makes the
building of more dwelling-houses in Central Districts impracticable.
In Finsbury there are 19 houses per acre and there can be no
doubt that this condition of things creates some of our chief
difficulties, not only in the housing problem but in sanitation and Public Health work generally.

° Without some improved means of transit (cheap and rapid) the carrying
out of the provisions of the Housing of the Working Classes Act and the Public
Health (London) Act, must involve the incurrence of considerable hardship
upon persons it was the object of these Acts to assist, and in this and other
ways, a satisfactory early solution of the Housing problem in Central London
is largely impracticable and ineffectual.