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192
Selection of
tenants.
The Council had under review the results of the arrangement agreed to in 1924,
as an experiment for one year, whereby a part not exceeding 50 per cent, of the
new accommodation provided by the Council under Part III. of the Housing Act, 1890,
was allocated amongst suitable applicants recommended by the metropolitan borough
councils in proportions based upon existing conditions of overcrowding in such
boroughs. Taking the total number of new houses which became available for letting
in 1925, about 32 per cent. were let to applicants recommended by the borough councils.
In addition a number of other cases of special hardship were accommodated so
that, about 80 per cent. of the accommodation was preferentially allotted to families
living in unhealthy or overcrowded conditions, leaving only about 20 per cent. to the
ordinary applicants from the general list.
Many of the families thus preferentially accommodated were very poor, and were
found to have been living in only one room or two. Some had been registered for
accommodation by the borough councils for a considerable period. In the past,
experience showed that where poor tenants were placed in limited numbers amongst
tenants of a better class, their home conditions improved, but when such a large
proportion of the accommodation was let to tenants of this character the improvement
was not so apparent. By continuing this policy the Council ran the risk of loss
and general deterioration, and difficulty in preventing accumulation of arrears of
rent. The allocation of houses to special hardship cases having reached an unduly
high percentage, the Council, on 26th January, 1926, while continuing the
arrangement with the borough councils, decided tc include all such cases preferentially
treated in each borough in the quota allotted to the borough council, so that
approximately 50 per cent. of the new accommodation provided by the Council
should be available for the applicants to be taken from the general list.
Staff.
The average number of workmen employed by contractors on the Council's
housing development operations at the end of the year was about 9,900. About
450 men were continually engaged during the year on works of maintenance and
repair at the Council's dwellings and estates, while the local management staff,
including superintendents, estate clerks, porters, etc., numbered about, 140.
Workmen's
trains, etc.
The Council's action in earlier years with regard to workmen's trains at cheap
fares was dealt with in the Annual Report for 1920 (Vol. I., p. 77). In the Annual
Report for 1923 (Vol. III., pp. 139-40) particulars are given of the proceedings
before the Railways Rates Tribunal at which representations were made by the
Council on the subject of the charges to be made for workmen's fares and season
tickets on London railways. During 1924 schedules of the standard charges proposed
to be made by the companies in respect of the conveyance of passengers and
goods were submitted to the Tribunal and formal objections to the proposals were
lodged on behalf of the Council (Annual Report for 1924, Vol. III., p. 153). As a
result of the Council's representations, the railway companies submitted forms of
schedules of charges for workmen's fares and season tickets. The Council secured an
amendment of the schedules submitted by the companies in regard to workmen's
fares with the result that the schedules were approved by the Tribunal in such a form
as to enable it at the proper time to consider the Council's suggestions in regard to
the fixation of the actual fares to be charged.
After the form of schedules had been settled the Tribunal proceeded to ascertain
the standard revenue of the companies in 1913, and the next stage of the inquiry,
which was commenced on 5th October, 1925, was to determine the estimates of
railway working expenses after the fares and charges to be fixed by the Tribunal
shall have come into operation. The Tribunal delivered its judgment on 30th December,
1926, provisionally determining the schedules of standard charges to be made
by the railway companies in respect of goods, passengers, etc., which are to operate
as from a date to be determined by the Tribunal (probably 1st January, 1928)
upon finally fixing the charges. The effect of the judgment is being considered by
the Council.
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