8o
THE HOUSING QUESTION
proper adaptation into tenements for many families, thus intensifying
existing evils, streets of new tenements in the towns
developed with the minimum regard for amenity. ; .
This account of Scottish slums can be matched
all over England and Wales.
Here is Sir Robert Newman, H.P., a Conservative
Coalitionist, speaking in the House of Commons,
2 ist July, 1921:—
" I feel that possibly I may be more unfortunately situated
than some Members in that I openly admit that at the last General
Election one of the chief planks of my platform was that I would
do all in my power to remove slums and bad dwellings. If I
had not taken up that position, I should have felt happier than
I do to-night. Although I am fully aware of the vast importance
of economy, I am bound to admit that when we come to the
question of the housing of the people, we have got something to
consider as well as economy. It is a matter of life and death.
Some Members have spoken as though they had not seen any
slums. I venture to think there are not many Members of this
House who have not visited slums in their constituencies, and
become aware of the state of affairs in these districts.
“ I have visited houses which have impressed me most deeply
with the fact that I cannot imagine how people live in them at
all, with their rickety stairs and wretched conditions. But I
know they do, and I have wondered how they get people downstairs
when they die in these houses. I have also had the advantage
of a chart very carefully got out by a medical officer. Some
Hon. Gentlemen may laugh at these facts, but they are very
serious and impressive. I look at the chart which this medical
officer has drawn up with little black marks for tuberculosis
cases. I have seen in the better-class districts very few of these
black marks, but when you examine the slums you find the
marks practically jostling each other, so closely are they packed.
Under these circumstances, I do say that we have a question of
