40 
THE HOUSING QUESTION 
Now for the ninth excuse. It is true that for some 
time after the war, working men, not only in the 
building trade but in all trades, were giving a reduced 
output. That is one of the results of a five years' 
war. It tires men. It demoralises men. It often kills 
men or reduces their efficiency through wounds and 
disease. Were working men the only portion of this 
community who felt the reaction after the war ? Did 
the upper and middle classes pull their full weight in 
1919 and 1920 ? Let it be remembered that the 
building trade operatives were not a protected occupa 
tion in the war. They went to fight in large numbers. 
There was even a time when we were thankful to them 
for fighting for their Country. To a large number of 
people, however, including the present Minister of 
Health, they are merely an object of criticism, as for 
instance, on July 21st, 1921, the Minister said in reply 
to Mr. Clynes :— 
“ I feel in duty bound to point out that the reason we have 
made so little progress with housing has been the extraordinary 
low output of the building industry.” 
Well, if that is so, what has brought the price of 
houses down from £950 to £500 in a year ? 
The reason is two-fold. Firstly, builders have had 
to cease profiteering. Secondly, workmen have im 
mensely increased their output. 
With regard to the former, it is a most significant 
fact that, on a certain occasion, builders throughout 
the kingdom, dropped their prices by more than £150 
in a fortnight. The occasion was this : In February,