The housing question

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Monograph

Identifikator:: 1023104237

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-61777

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: The housing question

Place of publication:: London

Publisher:: George Allen & Unwin Ltd.

Year of publication:: 1922

Scope:: 1 Online-Ressource (125 Seiten)

Collection:: Economics Books

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56 THE HOUSING QUESTION No, there were not too many of this kind of official. There were too few. Owing to the procrastination and niggardliness of the Treasury—in its best penny-wise- and pound-foolish style—Housing Commissioners had to fight the taxpayers’ battle with too few and under paid quantity surveyors. For want of staff the flood of tenders and of conferences to decide prices could not be got through without inordinate delay, and all the time the price was steadily rising in favour of the builder, under pressure of demand. Moreover, owing to the poor rates of pay offered by the Treasury, the builders had the pick of the technical professions— and gained far more profit than they should have done. Nor is it any more possible to maintain the eleventh excuse. In 1919, a new and better style of building working-class houses came into vogue. In many parts no building had taken place for twenty years or more. In others, and these the vast majority, only old and bad jerry-built types had been erected. Everywhere builders were timid after the war and workmen not always at their best. Architects had to get used to procedure and the new model plans and specifications. But once these difficulties had been surmounted—and it was extraordinary how quickly they were sur mounted—plans, tenders, and contracts were arranged far faster than builders could set men to work at them. All honour is due to the hard, self-sacrificing work of the permanent officials of Local Authorities in clearing away all obstacles and getting the houses actually begun and completed. The flow of contracts

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