54 
THE HOUSING QUESTION 
Let us first investigate the credentials of the critics. 
There was, not so long ago, an investigation by a 
Government Committee* of the finance of those 
companies who make it their business to insure poor 
people and the working classes. That Committee 
reported that, for every £i paid in by the insured 
persons in premium, about nine shillings never came 
back to them in benefits, but were eaten up in the 
running expenses of the Companies and their profits, 
very largely accruing through lapsed policies. 
Now let us compare with this 45 per cent, of total 
income spent in overhead charges and profit the cost 
of the whole of the regional Housing officials set to 
work by the Government in 1919, to represent the 
taxpayer throughout Britain and to urge on, supervise 
and control the building of the first 200,000 houses. 
This cost, according to a reply in the Commons by the 
Minister in 1921, was £323,647 a year. As far as one 
can ascertain this worked out at from £3 to £5 per 
house built, i.e., less than half of one per cent.— 
proportionally one hundredth part of what business men 
appear to charge for their overhead expenses in insurance ! 
Nor is this the whole story. It is a fact that the 
Government housing officials, through their close 
technical supervision of plans, estimates, tenders and 
contracts, saved an amount per house to the taxpayer 
vastly exceeding the few pounds their service cost. 
* The Parmoor Departmental Committee of the Board of Trade 
which reported on 19th February, 1920, Cmd. 6x4. The present 
Government have done nothing to remedy the criminal state of 
things shown up by this Committee two years ago.