THE HOUSING QUESTION 
55 
It is no exaggeration to say that, had it not been for 
these officials, houses would have cost on an average 
£50 more than they did. Few, except the officials 
of Local Authorities, know the energy, patience and 
financial and technical common-sense brought to bear 
by the Government’s Housing Officials on the vast 
and novel problems which had to be dealt with after 
the war. These men had to build up their own 
organisation and methods. During the “ hustle" 
period, which lasted from the Spring of 1919 to the 
end of 1920, they never rested. Ten to twelve hours 
a day was their common lot. They were almost all 
ex-officers, and their clerks too were ex-servicemen. 
They entered the service of reconstructing England 
with the same keenness which they had shewn in 
previous years in fighting for her. They were none 
too well paid. The technicians—architects, quantity 
surveyors and the like—drew salaries distinctly below 
those of their brethren in private practice. And in 
spite of abuse they worked on. The abuse came 
generally from quarters which found the existence of 
these men somewhat detrimental to the high level of 
trade profits. At conferences which constantly took 
place between Government Quantity Surveyors and 
Builders to settle the prices of houses, it was no un 
common thing for the agreed price to be £200 or more 
below that tendered by the builders when they entered 
the conference room, and these reductions were 
effected without reducing materially the size and 
amenities of the houses.