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for grappling with the scheme fell to the lot of Dr. Addison, and
under the Addison Scheme of 1919, subsidies were paid to local
authorities. Under Dr. Addison's scheme, throughout the kingdom,
176,000 houses were built, and the Exchequer bore all the losses
in excess of the product of a penny rate. Under all subsequent
schemes the exchequer's share of subsidy has been a fixed contribution,
so that the local authority has had full incentive to see
that no losses were incurred. Under the Chamberlain Act of 1923,
a subsidy was given amounting to £6 annually for 20 years for each
house built. This Act was very successful in getting houses for
sale built by private enterprise. Over 400,000 houses were erected
from its inception to its repeal in 1929. The 1923 Act was the
charter of private enterprise and out of the 438,047 houses built
under it, only 75,000 were by local authorities. The remainder
were built by public utility societies and trusts and private enterprise,
more especially private enterprise which built 351,000.
Under the Wheatley Act of 1924, an endeavour was again
made to build houses to let, and not for sale. Subsidies were given
to local authorities, and it was hoped to build houses to let at about
9s. weekly. Few authorities found it successful to build for this
price, and the average rent has been 13s. to 15s. weekly. Nearly
half a million houses were built under this Act up to its repeal in
1932.
Under the Greenwood Act of 1930, the main efforts and
effects have been towards improving the methods by which the
clearance of slum areas could be brought about. This Act gives
powers to local authorities to clear areas, to improve areas, to demolish
separate insanitary houses and to close parts of buildings.
The present government, having cancelled the Wheatley subsidy,
is leaving the provision of additional working class houses to private
enterprise, with the aid of the Public Utility Trusts and Building
Societies.
Acton became busy with the preparation of housing schemes
soon after the end of the war.
In 1920 the Council acquired the East Acton Estate (74½
acres) and the North Acton Estate (18 acres) for the purpose of
erecting houses for the working classes. It was intended to
erect 600 houses on the East Acton Estate and 175 houses on the
North Acton Estate. As is suggested in a previous paragraph
the housing policy of the Government changed in 1921. Lord
Melchett, then Sir Alfred Mond, succeeded Dr. Addison and in
July 1921 the guillotine fell on the subsidies. Notice was received