74

THE  HOUSING  QUESTION

erection  of  new  houses).  Thus  a  Local  Authority
would  not  have  to  pay  for  slum  clearance  out  of  its
rates.
Further,  the  Act  provided  that  if  a  Local  Authority
failed  to  do  its  duty  in  slum  clearance  the  Minister  of
Health  was  empowered  to  order  it  to  be  done,  and,
if  the  Authority  failed  to  comply,  then  the  Minister
might  carry  out  the  scheme  himself  (or  through  the
County  Council).
The  financial  regulations  which  accompanied  the
Act  with  the  authority  of  the  House  of  Commons,
provided  that  Local  Authorities  were  to  have  six  years
from  August,  1919,  to  carry  out  their  slum  clearance
schemes,  or  such  further  period  as  lack  of  labour  and
materials  might  necessitate.
Great  were  the  hopes  held  out  by  Ministers  from
time  to  time.  Take  these  specimens  of  the  utterances
of  the  Government  on  the  subject:
Dr.  Addison,  Minister  of  Health,  at  the  time  of  the
passing  of  the  Act,  July,  1919  :—
“  When  the  Housing  Act  has  received  the  Royal  Assent  we
shall  at  last  be  equipped  with  powers  to  deal  with  schemes  and
to  tap  in  London  that  vast  reservoir  of  accommodation  which
its  empty  houses  afforded  in  many  districts.”
From  the  Ministry  of  Health  official  publication
Housing  for  December  6th,  1920  :—
"  Under  recent  legislation  the  powers  of  local  authorities  and
of  the  Ministry  of  Health  in  dealing  with  unfit  houses  and  unhealthy ­
  areas  have  been  greatly  strengthened,  and  assistance
from  the  Exchequer  is  promised  in  cases  where  a  re-housing
scheme  is  carried  out  in  connection  with  an  improvement  or