Evening star., 1938-04-29
BRITISH EXPERT
TELLS0F HOUSING
Boom Resulted as Private
Enterprise Saw Scope
of National Policy.

The English housing boom was not
government-planne device to rescue
the nation from economic chaos. but
was the result Of private enterprise
after cooperative home financing in
stitutions and large builders had been
encouraged by the governments finan-
cial and political program, Sir Harold
Bellman of London, managing direc-
tor OF the worlds second largest build
ing society, told a banquet audience
at the Mayfower Hotel last night.
Sponsored by the United States
Building and Loan League. the BAN
quet was attended by several hundred
persons, including members G. Con-
gress, Government officials, and execu-
tives of private home financing insti-
tutions. The latter came from points
as far away as the Pacific Coast to
hear the British housing authority.
Describing the dimensions Of the
housing boom which was the main
lever in Great Britain's climb from
depression, Sir Harold said:
In less than two decades. we have
increased our available housing &C
commodations by nearly so per cent
building 100000 houses in England
and Wales since the war. 1t was an
expansion which has no parallel in
our history. Once the decks had been
cleared for confidence, the private
builder without government assistance
restarted the wheels"
Kept Program Going.
Sir Harold said the building society
movement played an important part
in keeping the housing program going,
once it got under way. 1t has financed
a great portion of houses built since
inception of the boom and has pro-
vided assistance for two million of the
new houses. He continued:
AS consequence of England's s
giant stride toward realizing the ideal
of a nation Of home owners, the
average English worker is vastly more
interested in the Marx brothers than
in Karl Marx. While abating none of
his enthusiasm for social progress, he
nevertheless becomes a realist Mean
while, he had the satisfaction of i'm
parting a stimulus to our economic life
and providing great numbers of fellow
citizens with work and wages.
To-day our housing problem is en-
tering upon a new phase in its cease
less evolution, The boom element as
such is subsiding. for no boom con-
tinues indefinitely On the other
hand. the local authorities, under
stimulus from the central government,
are concentrating on the more vicious
elements in the problem of ill-housing
The active program upon which they
have embarked promises an end to the
more serious slums and overcrowding
in few years.
Chronic Shortage Faced.
After the war we were faced with
a chronic housing shortage and up to
the period of our financial crisis in
1881 we were chiefly occupied in max
ing this good. The more significant
part of the English housing output
came, however, after the financial
crisis. In the few years preceding 1881
English housing output was on the
average below 100000 per annum. BY
1884 it had exceeded 100000 and in
1886 it amounted to practically $50, 900.
THE building societies, from repre-
senting before the war more or less
localized organizations with assets of
1925, 100000, now stand in the front
rank of the nations financial insti-
tutions with total resources of three
and one-half billion dollars. They
have upward of 100000 investors and
over 100000 borrowers and during
recent years have loaned well over
$50O,00O,0 per annum"
Edward G. Baltz, secretary of the
Perpetual Building Association and
president of the United States League,
presided at the banquet.
The leagues Southeastern confer
ence, composed of the District and II
States, announced election of the
following officers last night:
George E. Conner, Bristol. Va, presi-
dent; George R. Wootten, Hickory,
N. c., first vice president; Henry P.
Irr, Baltimore, second vice president,
and Alex Salvatore, Wheeling, w. Va,
treasurer. Mr.. Conner succeeds James
H. Hammond, Columbia, S. c.
Directors chosen to represent the
II States we're: Alabama, w. A. Pat
tillo, Birmingham; Florida, o. M.
Swope, Orlando; Georgia, c. w.
Minor, Atlanta; Maryland, George c.
Mantz, Baltimore; North Carolina,
Mich Mitchell, Winston-Salem; South
Carolina, John P. Thomas, jr., Colum-
bia; Tennessee. M. H. Palmer, Mem
ord Nirairia Dan Mllrrall