Evening star., 1934-12-16

was still acute and the slum and over
crowding problem was worse than 1t
had been at the start. Indeed, instead
of "filtering up" the movement was
exactly the reverse; the low-wage
workers, as the depression deepened
and unemployment increased, filter
ing down into the cheaper and smaller
units of occupation until the slums
were choked with human beings who
had no means of escape because there
was nowhere else to go.
In these IA years, out of a total
OF 100000 slum- category houses, only
10000 we're replaced.
Many people, interests, practices.
principles and doctrines have been
blamed for this failure, but the dis
passionate prober of the riddle finds
himself entangled in the economic
roots Of social democracy and the
capitalist civilization itself. We find
that in the end it was liquidation of
postwar follies and illusions every
where which cleared the path to the
present larger effort and achievement.
1t was the great slump which demol-
ished barriers by forcing through re-
forms and compelling facing of
inescapable economic facts.
Overnight there was a great polit-
ical and financial housecleaning in
Britain. Money, labor and materials
had all been too high. Now those
triple costs came down with a run.
Government extravaganza stopped and
the confidence of the investor re-
turned. The new national govern
ment stopped the general building
subsidy Except in Scotland) and
handed back the new building side of
the general problem to private enter
prise, and private enterprise respond
ed by building nearly 270,000 new, un-
subsidized houses in the first year of
the new order of things In 1892
building plans TO the value Of $685.
100000 were approved. The figure for
1888 was $50, 900 900 more. But for
the first seven months alone of 1884
the value of plans approved approxi-
mated $500. 900 900, and for the whole
year will probably exceed $500, 900 900.
Five Years to Operate.
Freed thus to concentrate on the OBJ
stinate slum problem, the govern
ment after these IA years of blunder-
ing and the wastage of a huge treas
ure, decided to take the surgeons knife
to the cancer of getty slums, where
In dwell, amid foul conditions which
disintegrate and rot human life.
l,250,000 men, women and children
OF the poorest classes. The operation
will take five years, according to
present plans, and cost around $780,
100000. The idea now is to buy up
and clear the slums and rebuild on
the same sites. Each locality attends
to its own financing, but gets a
grant from the state treasury and an
additional subsidy from the local rate
payers to help out, so that the new
small houses and tenement block five
room apartments can be rented for
as low as $3.50 and seldom higher
than $3.50 q week.
Here 1t may be noted that the last
word has not by any means been said
on either the slum and rehousing or
the general building problems; they
are as controversial as any economic
or monetary question. A considerable
controversy has long centered around
the question Of national versus local
action. You don't have to delve very
far into that before you find yourself
involved in the fundamental argu-
ments which justify capitalism on the
one hand and socialism on the other.
and social democracy at one extreme
and the collective state (FaScist or
Communist) at the other.
Touching on another angle we find
the national organization school ar
guing that If the thing were done on
q national scale, with a central au-
thority buying materials, the best
technical brains brought in at the
center and big instead of small con-
tracts offered, costs would be brought
down. The anti-nationalists retort
that bulk buying does not necessarily
mean lower prices. It can mean
higher prices than prevail when COM
petition to supply the demand runs
free, as at present. In the govern
ment circle opposition to the national
idea Is perhaps not entirely disasso-
ciated from the apprehension that a
national organization Of building Ia
Dor would shoulder in, which might
be a help, but which might, again. try
to exert political pressure or hold up
the program by threatening a ma
tional building strike, or oppose new
methods which menaced the economic
interests of certain Of the labor cate
gories.
All this may sound as II Britain's
housing problem is well on the way
to being solved. But this Is only the