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In spite of these apparent theoretical objections, which probably
will not operate unfavourably in practice, the fact remains that
for the first time we have a standard of overcrowding laid down in an
Act of Parliament. This is of paramount importance, though in the
case of family overcrowding the standard may operate harshly. As
the Act stands, many families would require rehousing at intervals.
A "house " as defined in the Act, may be within the Act one week
and without it the next, without any change either in the house itSelf
or its inmates save such as occurs from the passage of time.
family overcrowding will require some sympathetic management.
the Ministry recognise this and admit that breaches of the Act must
occur and must be permitted temporarily. With harsh administration.
the Act might become a dead letter, but with careful insistence
on its provisions, it can eventually abolish overcrowding.
It may posssibly help us to obtain a better perspective of the
overcrowding which the Act is intended to mitigate if we review the
Conditions which have obtained. The conditions which obtain
throughout the country do not particularly interest us, except in so
for as they seem to be somewhat similar to those which obtain here.
The census of 1931 showed that 397,000 families, or 3.9 per
cet. of all families, were so housed that there were more than two
persons per room. Of these 183,000 families had more than three
person per room, and 56,000 more than four persons per room.
While 3.9 per cent. of all families had more than two persons
per room, the overcrowding population was actually 6.9 per cent.
of the whole, or approximately 2,775,000 persons. The 1921 census
gave 497,133 families with more than two persons per room, so that
the census of 1931 showed a reduction of about 100,000 families
living under these conditions—an appreciable improvement over a
ten-year period. In the four years ending 1935, 845,387 houses have
been built by private enterprise, as against 59,406 built by local
authorities under the 1930 Act, and 143,875 under the Wheatley Act.
If We leave out the 59,406 houses built under the 1930 Act, which
roughly replaced demolished houses, 989,262 houses have been built
to deal with an overcrowded population in 1931 of approximately
2,275,000 plus the natural population increment since the census
The results of the survey under the 1935 Act are not exactly comparable
with those which were obtained at the census. The primary
Object of the survey was to ascertain in each area even case of overcrowding
which existed at the time of the survey, together with
Sufficient details relating to each case to enable the local authority
to formulate proper plans for dealing with the overcrowding.