View report page

160
and Town Planning Bill. The measure was thoroughly discussed from
every point of view, and important suggestions for amendment were
made.
The chair was occupied all day on Monday and on Tuesday afternoon
by Sir John Dickson Poynder, Bart., M.P., Chairman of the Select
Committee on Bural Housing, and on Tuesday morning by Alderman
W. Thompson, Chairman of the National Housing Beform Council.
Whilst the Congress approved of the general principles on which the
Bill was founded it carried a large number of amendments. It almost
unanimously approved of land purchase in connection with town planning
schemes, and it was equally emphatic in supporting that to make it
obligatory upon local authorities to obtain the consent of the Local
Government Board before even proceeding with the preparation of a town
plan is quite superfluous and can only produce unnecessary delay.
The following resolution was moved and seconded:—
"This Congress welcomes the removal of the restriction on the
period of repayment of loans from the Public Works Loans Commissioners
(Clause 3, b and c), but in view of the terms accorded to Irish
local authorities (under the Irish Labourers Act, 1906), this Congress
is of opinion that the Treasury should lend money for housing
purposes at the lowest rate at which the Treasury can itself borrow: —
(a) To local authorities up to the full amount of the security;
(b) To public utility societies up to 75 per cent, of the security.
The following amendment was moved:—
"That in order to encourage local authorities to provide improved
housing accommodation for the working classes, apart from street
widenings, improvements, or town planning schemes, an amendment
should be inserted providing that, subject to the approval of the Local
Government Board to the plans, rents to be charged, scheme, and to
a proper audit of the housing accounts, a grant should be made to
cover either the whole, or such a portion as the Local Government
Board may determine, of the annual deficiency (if any) arising upon
each completed year's revenue account, and now chargeable to the
local rates, upon the condition that when all outgoings have been
defrayed, and a surplus arises the whole of such surplus shall be
utilised each year in the repayment of the sums granted, without