10

FOREWORD

upon  the  subject  by  an  examination  in  detail  of  each
of  the  specious  arguments  by  which  the  inexcusable
failure  of  the  Government  in  Housing  is  from  time  to
time  defended.
Fourteen  such  excuses  are  examined.  This  examination ­
  constitutes  the  First  Part  of  the  book.  The
Second  Part  deals  with  the  Government's  record  in
slum-clearance,  which  in  touching  speeches  they
announced,  when  they  took  office,  that  they  would  carry
out.
An  apology  should  be  offered  to  the  reader  for  this
Chapter,  as  the  Government's  record  in  the  clearance
of  slums  would  more  suitably  have  been  expressed  by
a  blank  sheet  of  paper.
The  Third  Part  is  an  attempt  to  picture  to  the
Electors  the  Government's  fidelity  to  truth  and  justice
by  means  of  instances  drawn  from  their  speeches  on,
and  administration  of  housing  matters,  since  they  took
office.
The  Fourth  Part  is  a  summary  of  the  main  indictment
against  them  in  respect  of  Housing.
It  should  be  added  that  this  book  was  written
before  the  collapse  of  the  Coalition  Ministry.
October,  1922.