THE HOUSING QUESTION 
39 
be the result ot this policy ? Not a single house the less will 
be built for 18 months in England, and for two years in Scotland.” 
And again in the same speech :— 
“ We are only now crying a halt—not to stop building. There 
will not be a single house the less built. On the contrary 'here 
will be more houses built. . . .” 
" Not a single house the less.” And in June, 
eleven months later, more than 80,000 of the building 
trade are unemployed. Could not these men be 
building houses, houses that to-day cost £500 or less ? 
Was it the House of Commons that the Prime Minister 
was deceiving, or only himself ? 
The same question may be asked in respect of Sir 
Alfred Mond. On 14th July, 1921, he made the follow 
ing deliberate pronouncement to the House of 
Commons :— 
“ We are endeavouring to review the situation at a time—and 
I want the House particularly to note this—at a time when suffi 
cient contracts have been approved to give occupation for at 
least 18 months to the whole of the building facilities of the 
country. The approval of more contracts would not provide 
in the next 18 months any appreciably increased number of new 
houses." 
Eleven months after this statement there is great and 
increasing unemployment in the building trade, and 
yet the Government will allow practically no more 
houses to be begun. 
The fact of the matter is that the people of England 
have been deceived, are being deceived, and, if Mr. 
Lloyd George and Sir Alfred Mond and members of 
the Cabinet can manage it, will continue to be deceived.