The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-07-24
10y FLOYD MAcoRIFF, INTER
NATIONAL NEWS SERVICE
STAFF CORRESPONDENCE


Londons-(By mail.)-The royal
family is taking Its Summing seri-
curly.
From outward appearances, King
George is going to get better houses
for the working people or bust GAL
LUIS. In that endeavor his enthusiasm
is all but exceeded by that OF the
heir apparent, the Prince OF Wales.
And the widely heralded ambition OF
these two regal personages will have
TO get a hustle on II II is not to be
outdone by the efforts Of Queen Mary
who has gone into the by-ways OF
Bethnal Green, slum district OF
London, and obtained first hand In
formation OF how considerable
number of British subjects really
live.
Picture papers Of wide circulation
show separate excursions by the
king, queen or prince, inspecting
cherries rows Of drab houses on
some ill-kept, street that might pass
for Hogan's alley, America, and chat
ting with a be-aproned housewife
surrounded by a flock of Riddles or
possibly, bending over a washtub.
And the royal person and the loyal
British housewife then and there ex-
change amenities over living In a
howell where the bathroom consists OF
said washtub placed in the middle OF
the kitchen, where q cramped bed
room furnishes sleeping accommoda-
ton for four or more, where the kid
dies playground Is the street and the
backward Is too small and dark 10
permit grass to grow.
When there were large areas like
that in every large city when sucn
conditions have been the subject OF
protest for upward of sixty years
even the present kings father, twenty
years ago. urging something to be done
about the matter-and when return-
ing soldiers are demanding those
places "fit for heroes to live In which
LLOYD George promised, the situation
naturally is one the royal family takes
seriously. ILL.
SOC. 900 Houses Needed at Once.
King George says he has been told
zoo. 600 houses are needed right away.
He wants more than houses-he
wants the present slums obliterated
and garden houses erected which will
be homes the work people will enjoy
and children will thrive in.
While in no way personally respon-
sible for this situation the king feels
that he, perhaps. shall lead the way
In remedying matters SO that the
people will come to realize that &C
tually, after all. something is to be.
done for them now that the king has
been so energetic. There is no desire
in any quarter for communication OF
houses. which has been forcibly carried
out in Russia and Hungary. where
kings were not SO deeply interested in
how or where the working people lived
just SO their royal hides were well
housed.
Present conditions in England are
attributed partly to building laws, in
ability of working people to pay rents
justifying landlords tearing down ten
ements, and lack Of interest by en-
ployers who felt their duty ended with
the pay envelopes. War conditions
during the past Ave years precluded
house building.
But now the government has de-
cided to compel each local community
to solve its housing problem to the
entire satisfaction OF the state. A bill
which soon will be law will require
every local authority to prepare with
in three months housing scheme,
specifying the number and character of
the houses. land to be acquired and
the time within which the scheme is
to be carried out. The state has power
to act If the local authority is negli-
gent. Provision will be made for grant
ing financial assistance toward erec-
ton of houses to local authorities or
public utility societies. Speculation
In land sites is forbidden. Local au-
thorities also will have power to ac-
quire houses and alter or enlarge them.
The state can help pay the cost OF
building working class homes in any
city II 1t chooses. 1t is officially esti-
mated the state will have to bear an
annual rent deficit on these houses OF
some $32,OO0.00.
Cottages for Laborers.
Cottages for farm laborers are not
to be neglected. Some $125, 900, 900
probably will be made available for this
purpose during the next five years.
DIR. Christopher Addison, president of
the local government board, which will
be in charge of this housing program,
estimates that some 800 900 houses will
be completed within two years. Various
schemes for housebuilding are expected
to swamp within a year the supply of
materials and workmen available for
such enterprises. Ninety local autnori-
ties already have submitted plans for
houses and every encouragement. is to
be given them so work can be started
at once. Some 460 applications for sites
have been received from various cities
which will provide about $1,000 houses.
King Edward said twenty years ago:
There Is no question at present of
greater social Importance. than the
housing Of the working classes. We
must sympathize with those who lament
that greater progress has not been
made in the solution Of the difficulties
which surround this question. But
one thing is certain-that the difficult
ties must be surmounted."
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