THE HOUSING QUESTION 
35 
sewers, and architect’s fees. Assume the rate of inter 
est at 5 per cent, (it will almost certainly fall below 
this). Add f per cent, sinking fund. Loan charges 
will thus be £33 a year. Assume rent so low as 8s. a 
week. The charge to be added for repairs, voids, and 
management will then, by statutory regulation, not 
exceed 2s. a week, or £5 a year. The balance sheet is 
then as follows :— 
Income. 
Expenditure. 
£ s. d. 
£ s- d - 
Rent (at 8s. a week) 21 o o 
Loan Charges ... 33 0 0 
Penny rate, say ... 4 0 0 
Repairs, voids. 
“ Loss " falling on 
management ... 500 
the Exchequer 13 0 0 
£38 0 0 
0 
0 
00 
CO 
The annual loss above is £13 os. od. The Minister 
of Health, whenever he refers to it, calls it £60 a year 
(in House of Commons, nth May, 1921, and again on 
nth August, 1921). Why ? To frighten the House 
of Commons and the country, and to persuade them to 
break their solemn election and parliamentary promises 
that they will properly re-house the poor. 
Suppose the Government were to carry out their 
promises and build all the houses needed. This num 
ber was estimated by Local Authorities at 911,000 
throughout Britain. This would mean building another 
735,000. The annual loss on these, if their production 
were spread over a number of years and the pace were 
not forced, would be £9,500,000 a year. A country