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have greatly appreciated in recent years, the price of land has been
correspondingly increased, and the old type of small house, accommodating
the small trader and the artizan or labourer, has been replaced
by modern houses and mansions let in flats commanding high rents.
The process of development has been largely in the hands of Estate
Companies, who have purchased the reversionary interests of the ground
landlords, and proceeded to carry out the demolitions and reconstructions,
as soon as the property came into their possession. Until subsequent
to the War, no restriction operated, nor did any liability attach to Estate
Companies, conducting operations of this nature, to make any provision
for rehousing the working classes displaced.
In this way, during the past 30 years, some 18,000 Chelsea inhabitants,
chiefly of the working and small trader class, have been displaced and
compelled to migrate into surrounding districts.
Despite the difficulties of the problem, in Chelsea a considerable amout
of accommodation had been provided for the working classes during the
years preceding the outbreak of War. This had been effected by
municipal undertakings, by private enterprise and by the operation of
benevolent agencies and trusts.

It will be seen that in Chelsea at the outbreak of war there was available
accommodation for over 7,000 persons of the wage-earning class—an
amount which, in proportion to population, was considerably higher
than that obtaining in any other metropolitan borough.