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67
PART IV.
This part provides inter alia that, when any scheme or order
under the Housing Acts or Part 2 of this Act authorises the
acquisition or appropriation of any common, open space or allotment,
it shall be provisional only until confirmed by Parliament,
except under certain specified conditions favourable to the public.
The striking feature of the Act is the great amount of authority
with which it invests the Local Government Board. The Board
becomes the final Court of Appeal for the purposes of the Act, with
the exception of the provision in section 39.
Opinions may differ as to the desirability of placing an Administrative
Department in such a position, but the difficulties which in
practice beset the thorny path of the housing reformer no doubt
justify extreme attempts to smooth the way.
As examples of the power delegated to the Local Government
Board may be mentioned
Section 2. The Board may authorise the compulsory acquisition
of land.
Section 5. Its decision as to payment and application of
purchase money or compensation shall be final and
conclusive.
Section 10. It may enforce the exercise by a local authority of
its powers after receiving complaint from certain
Councils or four inhabitant householders.
Section 11. It may order schemes to be carried out by the
local authority.
Section 14. It may sanction a re-construction scheme and
authorise the compulsory purchase of land without
confirmation by Parliament.
Section 37. It may require the local authority to make a
report on any crowded area.
Section 41. It may prescribe forms and dispense with advertisements.
Section 44. It may revoke bye-laws unreasonably impeding
the erection of houses for the working classes.