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reveal a lack of discrimination or unfamiliarity with practical considerations
; but criticism which is helpful and information which is likely to lead
to measures for the improvement of unsatisfactory conditions are
acceptable. References, somewhat vague in character, have been made to
slum areas in Westminster. There are no areas such as would have come
under the provisions of Part I of the Housing of the Working Classes Act,
1890, according to the usual criteria adopted; abnormally high deathrate,
high incidence of infectious disease, tuberculosis and epidemic
enteritis ; absence of modern drainage, inadequate water supply, deficiency
of light and air, and structural decay. In an old city such as Westminster
there are sure to be found old houses where improvements, although
very desirable, would be extremely costly. The leases on such old dwellinghouse
properties are often within a few years of expiry. In many instances
schemes of development for the erection of large buildings for business
and administrative purposes are in contemplation, but are held up owing
to the difficulty of rehousing the inhabitants of those out-of-date
properties, which would otherwise be ripe for demolition. The scheme of
the London County Council for providing suitable homes on their housing
estates for those residents in Westminster who are living in insanitary or
overcrowded conditions proceeded during 1925 : 3 i families were offered
homes, and 15 accepted vacancies on the Becontree and Downham
estates. It seems almost unnecessary to repeat that in a number of
instances where the vacancies were not accepted the reasons given were
either inability to pay the rent of the new houses or inaccessibility to
place of work of the wage earner, and the expense of travelling. In every
case of a removal from conditions such as mentioned above measures
have been taken to secure as far as possible that the rooms in question
will not be re-let as formerly.
It is the intention of the City Council in considering housing schemes, to
provide homes for Westminster workers, many of whom are occupied at
hours of the day and night which are not convenient for travelling to
outlying suburbs. Reference to the occupational statistics of the 1921
Census shows that there were then 85,797 occupied males and females
residing in the City. Of those 56,859 worked in the City, 18,916 worked
in other districts and for the remainder definite details were not available
(see Table IV). Some of the congestion in Westminster could
be eased if those who are living in unsatisfactory conditions, but work in
distant suburbs, could be induced to move there. To give point to this
suggestion the case may be cited of a man employed at works in a northeastern
district who was living in the City. He spent almost three hours
daily in travelling, and fares cost him 7s. per week. He and his family
were housed in a basement room, but it had not occurred to him that
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