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by the Council was £13,261. The number of dwellings erected under this Act which
came into charge during the year was relatively small and a large proportion of the
dwellings was not occupied until the year was well advanced. The financial result
after providing for interest and sinking fund charges on the capital expenditure,
was a deficiency of £2,683, towards which the Government provide a subsidy of £9
per annum per house, the balance of loss falling on the rates.
Rent irrecoverable.
About 116 tenants left during the year without paying arrears of rent, but the
amount irrecoverable amounted only to £417, or about .05 per cent. of the total
collected. Of the amount irrecoverable £28, or .008 per cent. of the amount
collected arose on Non-Assisted Schemes, while £389, or .083 per cent. of the amount
collected, arose on the Assisted Schemes.
Empties.
The loss by empties during the year was £856, or .10 per cent. of the rent,
as compared with .14 per cent. in 1924-25. These empties were caused entirely
by dwellings having to be cleaned and repaired in connection with changes of
tenancv.
Repairs.
The high standard of upkeep, both as regards repairs and cleanliness, has been
fully maintained. The necessary repairs to the dwellings are carried out by direct
employment of labour. The number of repairs workmen employed varies largely
according to the season, but, during the year 1925-26, the average number of
workmen employed was about 320. The amount expended on this work in 1913-14
was £23,934. In 1920-21, when there was practically no repairs work on dwellings
erected under Assisted Schemes, the expenditure had risen to £69,662, this increase
being due to the higher wages, to the rise in the prices of material, and to the necessity
of overtaking the arrears of painting and other work suspended during the war.
During 1923-24, the expenditure on Non-Assisted Schemes amounted to £47,560,
and to £15,825 on Assisted Schemes. It will be seen that by this time there had
been relatively a substantial decrease in the expenditure under this head, this
being attributable partly to the fall in wages and the cost of materials and partly
to arrears of work caused by the war having been overtaken in the preceding few
years. During the year 1924-25 the expenditure on Non-Assisted Schemes amounted
to £47,725, and to £36,517 on Assisted Schemes. During the year 1925-26, the
expenditure on Non-Assisted Schemes amounted to £51,004, and to £46,048 on
Assisted Schemes. The increase in the expenditure on Assisted Schemes is due, of
course, to the growth of the number of dwellings coming into charge in 1920 and
in subsequent years.
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