View report page

181
By reference to the Board of Trade Return to Parliament 25th May,
1909, it will be seen that with a few exceptions there are no workmen's
trains running up to eight o'clock in the morning—the time laid down by
the Act of 1883.
It is also shown by the same return that the fares charged by some
of the companies are much higher than those proposed by this Bill.
Housing of the Working Classes (No. 2) Bill.
The object of this Bill is to enlarge the powers and stimulate the
activities of voluntary associations and also of municipal authorities with
a view to securing a better supply of housing and, to some extent, of
shop accommodation for the working classes; and especially to enable
State credit to be used with a view to enabling occupiers to become
owners. The Bill proposes to do this in three ways :—
(1) Section 67 of the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890, as
amended by section 4 of the Housing and Town Planning Act,
1909, allows the Public Works Loan Commissioners to lend up
to two-thirds of the amount required by voluntary associations
who are undertaking the work of providing dwelling-houses for
the working classes ; but there is no provision in these sections
(which extend only to " dwellings for the working classes") to
cover the case of small shops. In many poor class neighbourhoods
it is desirable that power should be available for
constructing a house and shop together.
(2) Many members of the working classes, especially in the north
of England, desire to acquire the ownership of their own
houses. In Oldham, according to the Local Government
Board Report of May, 1909, out of 33,000 inhabited houses,
over 10,000, or about a third, are owned, or in course of being
purchased by artisan proprietors. The Bill proposes to assist
voluntary associations, whether friendly societies, building
societies, co-operative societies, insurance societies, or similar
bodies who are promoting this work of house purchase. The
societies at present generally advance up to three-quarters or
four-fifths of the purchase price of a house to their mem here,
and then receive repayment of principal and interest over a
period of years, the advance being secured, till paid off, by a
mortgage on the house.
m2