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  uncommon ­
  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.