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42
years. The rule doubtless is good when applied to works of sewerage
and such-like, but so far as buildings are concerned the period for
which the repayment is to extend might justly be made commensurate
with the life of the structure, while as regards the land it is a question
whether the loan might not be permanent, as the land is always an
asset which is likely to improve in value. There is one circumstance
which may be taken for granted, and that is that to re-house the
working classes anywhere in or near central London, any schemes for
this purpose must be rate supported. In the Suburban areas, however,
it may be questioned whether municipal interference is required.
The latest scheme of the London County Council to acquire
a large area of land in Tottenham is not in my opinion a step
which is likely to materially assist the people who really require
assistance. The area is to be laid out in such a way and the cottages
to be built in such a manner that about 42,500 persons will be
accommodated at a cost of over 1½ millions sterling. The undertaking
will no doubt prove to be remunerative because it will attract the very
best of the working class population from the surrounding district,
but it will do no more to solve the difficult problem of the sanitary
housing of the very poor than did their rehousing scheme at
Shoreditch. The County Council would display a wiser discretion if
it would first improve the means of communication from the Suburbs
to the Centre by opening up and widening existing thoroughfares and
starting a really efficient service of electric trams to relieve our
present congested railway services. The provision of suitable
accommodation for a family at not more than 5/- per week is the
urgent need at the present time, and in my opinion, in London and
the immediate Suburbs that cannot be effected without some subsidy
from the Eates, and some expenditure in this direction would, I
believe, be met by a corresponding reduction in the Poor, Police and
Sanitary Eates of the district.
One matter which will have to be faced before long is the
imposition of conditions on landlords when old private houses are
converted into tenement houses. Houses built to meet the requirements
of one family should not be allowed to be let into tenements