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14
WORKMEN'S DWELLINGS.
In January, 1894, a resolution was, as mentioned in the last
Annual Report (page 16) passed expressing satisfaction at the
erection, under the auspices of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners,
of cottage-dwellings for the working classes in Orange Street and
other parts of the district, and a hope that the Commissioners
would cause suitable dwellings to be erected on a portion of the
unoccupied land belonging to them in Union Street. A copy was
forwarded to the Commissioners, who, in reply, stated that they
had been in communication with the London County Council
with a view to arranging a sale of land in Southwark as a site for
the erection of such dwellings, but no agreement had been come
to. The Board regretting to see so much land eminently well
suited for the purpose lying idle and unprofitable, caused a letter
to be addressed to the Council upon the subject, urging it to
exercise its powers under the Housing of the Working Classes
Act, 1890, for the erection of cottage dwellings upon the vacant
site. In reply, the Council, by letter dated the 16th November.
1894, stated that it was fully alive to the necessity for additional
accommodation of the kind in St. Saviour's being provided, and
only regretted that the price put by the Commissioners upon the
land in Union Street was such as to render it impracticable to
acquire the sites offered, unless either the rents were raised above
those ruling in the neighbourhood or a charge was made upon the
County rate, both of which were contrary to the resolution of the
Council.
In March last, the Committee having again very carefully
considered the matter, caused another letter to be addressed to
the Commissioners relative to the negotiations for the purchase
of the land, calling their attention to the allegation of the London
County Council as above set forth, and urging them to set apart
a portion of the land at such a price as would enable the Council
to erect suitable dwellings. To this the Commissioners replied
in the terms following:—
"Ecclesiastical Commission,
10, Whitehall Place, London, S.W.
29th March, 1895.
"Dear Sir,
"I have submitted to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners your
communication of the 22nd instant expressing the views of a Committee
of the St. Saviour's District Board of Works with reference to the
management of the Commissioners' Southwark estate, and to certain
results which the Committee represent as arising from such management.
"With regard to the negotiation with the London County Council,
to which you refer, the Commissioners direct me to explain that they
offered to sell to the London County Council for sites for the erection of
workmen's dwellings, three plots of land in Union Street, and that,
.having regard to the object for which the Council proposed to acquire