52

THE  HOUSING  QUESTION

The  following  questions  and  replies  in  the  House
of  Commons  throw  a  ray  of  light  on  Sir  Alfred  Mond’s
familiarity  with  his  subjects  :—
loth  August,  1921.
Mr.  Trevelyan  Thomson  asked  the  Minister  of  Health  whether
he  has  recently  sanctioned  the  erection  of  a  further  456  houses,
more  or  less,  in  Newcastle-on-Tyne  ;  and  whether  he  can  now
see  his  way  to  grant  the  application  of  the  Middlesborough  County
Borough  Council  for  the  erection  of  zoo  more  houses,  seeing  that
the  housing  shortage  and  resulting  overcrowding  is  as  severe
in  Middlesborough  as  in  Newcastle-on-Tyne  ?
Sir  Alfred  Mono  :  “  I  have  agreed  to  tenders  being  obtained
for  the  erection  of  a  further  zoo  to  400  houses  at  Newcastle-on-Tyne.
  In  view  of  the  large  number  of  houses  contracted  for  at
Middlesborough  which  is  still  to  be  completed,  I  have  advised
the  Local  Authority  that  their  proper  course  is  to  concentrate
at  present  on  the  houses  already  sanctioned  and  to  leave  open
the  question  of  additional  houses  till  these  are  nearer  completion.”
Mr.  Thomson  :  “  Is  the  Right  Hon.  Gentleman  aware  that
owing  to  his  refusal  to  sanction  these  houses  a  number  of  bricklayers ­
  and  others  in  the  building  trade  are  out  of  work,  and
receiving  unemployment  pay  ?  ”
Sir  Alfred  Mono  :  "  They  might  go  to  work  at  Newcastle'
then."
From  his  last  reply  it  is  clear  that  the  Minister  of
Health  conceives  that  working  men  can  at  any  time
change  their  home,  with  or  without  their  families,
and  go  and  live  elsewhere.  One  wonders  how  he  would
care  to  do  so  himself.  One  wonders,  too,  whether  he
had  made  any  enquiry  as  to  the  availability  of  living
accommodation  for  more  workmen  at  Newcastle.  It
is  time  that  Ministers  realised  that  working  men  are
human  beings  like  themselves.