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received less than those of lower rank and the Council on 20th May, 1924, authorised
special payment to be made to certain officers and employees of such an amount
as would maintain the difference which existed at the outbreak of war between
their pay and that of the highest paid workmen under their supervision. This
special payment does not apply to workmen whose wages are regulated by trade
union conditions.
The National Maritime Board increased the rates of pay of officers and crews
on weekly vessels on Board of Trade Articles, and the Council accordingly raised
the wages of its officers by 5s. a week as from 5th June, 1924, and a further 5s. a
week as from 5th September, 1924. The case of the crews was adjudicated upon
by the Thames District Maritime Board who awarded advances to adult members
of the crews of 3s. 3d. a week as from 5th June, 1924, and a further advance of 3s. 3d.
a week as from 5th September, 1924. The total estimated cost of these increases
is £2,825 a year.
The wages of certain employees follows variations in the trades of which they
are members. Under this arrangement the staff employed in the chief engineer's
department in connection with the Thames Floods Prevention service who are
river workers received an increase of 6s. a week each as from 26th February, 1924,
and a further increase of 6s. as from 2nd June, 1924, in accordance with the agreement
between the Negotiating Committee of the National Council of the Port
Labour Employers and the National Transport Workers' Federation.
CHAPTER XXV.
HOUSING.
Powers and
duties of the
Council.
The powers of the Council in relation to the housing of the working classes
are derived from the Housing Acts, 1890 to 1924. Apart from administrative duties,
the main divisions of the work are (i.) the provision of new dwellings to meet the
need for additional accommodation, and (ii.) the improvement or reconstruction of
unhealthy areas, including the provision of dwellings for rehousing persons of the
working classes displaced.
With the passing of the Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act, 1919, as a result
of conditions arising out of the war, a financial partnership was established between
the State and local authorities in the matter of housing, the liability of a local
authority being limited to the produce of a penny rate, while any expenditure
incurred on duly authorised schemes over and above that limit was to be borne
by the State. The grant of State aid was contemplated for a limited period only,
and the scheme put forward by the Council in anticipation of the passing of the
Housing Act of 1919 provided for a five years' programme of work. Owing to
financial stringency, however, the Government in 1921 found it necessary to reduce
its commitments and the Council's programme was curtailed accordingly.
A system of partnership was continued under the Housing, etc., Act, 1923,
one of the main financial provisions affecting the construction of houses by local
authorities being a State grant of £6 a year for each approved house over a period
of 20 years. The share of the deficit to be borne by the State is thus strictly
limited in amount, while the balance, whatever it may be, has to be met by
the local authorities. A similar State grant is also made in approved cases in
respect of houses erected by private enterprise, and this is supplemented by the
Council in the case of houses let at weekly rents. The Act also contains provision
for contributions being made by the State towards the cost of clearance of
unhealthy areas.
National
House
Building
Committee.
In the early part of 1924 a committee, known as the National House Building
Committee, representative of employers and operatives in the building trade, was
formed at the request of the Minister of Health and the Minister of Labour, to