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72
presented by the Housing of the Working Classes Committee
and the Finance Committee of that Authority.
The report of the Housing of the Working Classes
Committee, after briefly recapitulating the events relating
to the area down to February 16th, 1913 (see Annual
Report, 1913), reproduced the correspondence between
that Authority and the Local Government Board as to
the methods to be adopted in dealing with the area.
Following this, the Local Government Board, on
September 24th, 1914, made an Order, requiring the
London County Council to forthwith make a scheme or
schemes under Part II. of the Housing of the Working
Classes Act, 1890, for the improvement of the areas
specified in the Schedule to the Order (see ante). The
European War had broken out previous to this, and
subsequent to the making of the Order the London
County Council communicated with the Local Government
Board, referring to opinions expressed by the
Chancellor of the Exchequer in a speech delivered on
October 8th to representatives of the Association of
Municipal Corporations, pointing out the desirability
of strict limitation of Municipal capital expenditure.
The Board stated in reply that " . . . . . . . .the
London County Council would not be justified by anything
in that speech if they delayed giving effect to
the requirements of the Board's Order of September
22nd .... "
The Housing of the Working Classes Committee
noted the decision with regret, but felt it undesirable,
in the existing circumstances, that the London County
Council should enter into controversy with the Board.
The Committee were of opinion that the operation