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66
It will be seen at a glance that the cost of labour and material has
largely increased during the last 20 years, the average increase being
shown in the table. It is obvious that this must have contributed,
by its tendency to raise rents, to the increase of overcrowding.
(c) INCREASE OF HOUSE RENT IN WORKING CLASS
DWELLINGS.
In the natural course of events it will only be expected, that as land
becomes more limited and valuable in any district, the housing
accommodation will increase in value pari passu, causing a corresponding
rise in rentals.
But in Hackney of late years there appears to have been an exceptional
rise in the rentals of certain classes of dwelling occupied b;
the working classes.
Taking a row of 14 houses in Windsor Road, and another of 28 in
Prince Edward Road, Hackney Wick, 1 find that in 1894 these wen
let at 6/- per week; in 1896, the rent was 6/6 to 7/-; in 1898
it had increased to 9/- per week, and at the present time one ot
two are let at 10/- per week. Also in 1894 the owner of onehouseii
Windsor Road had a difficulty in letting it at 4/6 per week, but he inow
receiving 8/- per week for it.
A shop in Windsor Road was let at 12/- per week prior to April,
1898, but since that date the rent has been raised to 16/- per week
The above instances show a rise of over 33 per cent. in the cost of
mere housing amongst the working classes.
If this is characteristic of all the working class dwellings in
Hackney, it helps to lessen the wonder that overcrowdiug should
exist in the proportions it appears to.
Perhaps an explanation of the cause of these great increases in
rental may be found in the fact that the above property has change
hands four times in the last five years.
(d) INVESTMENTS IN HOUSE PROPERTY.
Of late years there has been a great demand for safe investment
for money. The bank interest for deposits has been low; and it has
been found that house property in certain localities is one of the