CIRCULAR OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD. WORKING-CLASS DWELLINGS. Local Government Board, Whitehall, S.W.1, 16th June, 1919. Sir,-Dr. Addison desires to obtain regular information as to the number of working-class dwellings projected, built and completed in every part of the country, and he will be much obliged if you will help him to obtain the desired particulars. Cards have been prepared for the purpose, and a supply of these is enclosed herewith. Dr. Addison will be glad if you will fill up these cards monthly for the present and will send them during the first week in each month, with the information relating to the preceding month. The first white card should be sent off in the first week in July and the particulars entered upon it should apply to the month ending the 30th June. The cards are arranged so as to give you as little trouble as possible, and directions as to filling them up are attached. In order that the information may be complete from the beginning, a special card (coloured blue) is enclosed, on which you are asked to enter particulars for the period from the 1st January to the 31st May, 1919. It is desired that this card should be returned within seven days of its receipt by you. It is important at the present time to obtain complete information. of the working-class dwellings which are erected, and Dr. Addison is sure that he can count on your assistance in supplying the necessary particulars. MEMORANDUM OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD. WORKING-CLASS DWELLINGS. DIRECTIONS FOR FILLING UP INFORMATION CARD. It is to be observed that the information is only required with regard to working-class dwellings. There is no precise definition of this term, but it is to be understood that it includes all houses under schemes submitted to the Board under the Housing Acts, and, in the case of private enterprise, houses of a similar character. Periods for which information desired.-Each card is to show the work done in the preceding month. There may, of course, be some cases where the information as to what has been done in the preceding month does not come to hand in time for it to be reported on the card for that month. In such cases the information should be entered on a subsequent card with a special note. The cards are to be sent in during the first week in each month commencing with July, and each card is to contain information relating to the work done in the preceding month. Information as to number of dwellings.-The numbers given in each case are to be the numbers of dwellings and not the numbers of schemes. In the case of tenements or flats, each separate dwelling or flat should be entered as a dwelling. Schemes or Plans (col. 2).—With regard to column 2 of the card, "Schemes or Plans Submitted " will mean, in the case of a local authority or a public utility society, schemes submitted to the Local Government Board or to the Housing Commissioner for the District. In the case of private enterprise the local authorities should obtain information for this and the other columns from whatever source they can (e.g., plans submitted under Byelaws or Local Acts; applications for certificates under section 6 of the Public Health (Water) Act, 1878. Similar returns were made, it will be remembered, to the Ministry of National Service under the Board's circular of 28/5/18). Col. 3.-Column 3 should contain the number of dwellings in respect of which any preliminary work has been commenced within the period in question, such as the laying out of streets and constructing of sewers, but in which the actual building of houses has not been begun. Thus, if in respect of a scheme for 100 dwellings, streets or sewers have been begun for 20 dwellings, the figure 20 should be inserted. Col. 4.-In column 4 will be entered in the same way the number of dwellings, the actual building of which has been commenced in the month in question. Col. 5. Similarly, in column 5 the number of dwellings actually completed should be entered. Public Utility Societies.-In the case of Public Utility Societies, the name of each should be given in abbreviated form. "Nil" Returns.—If nothing at all has been done during the month the card should be sent in, duly signed and dated, with the name of the local authority entered, and with the word "Nil" written across the card. It is not necessary to pay postage on the card. Local Government Board, Whitehall, S.W.1. 16th June, 1919. MEMORANDUM OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD. SUPPLY OF BUILDING MATERIALS BY THE MINISTRY OF MUNITIONS IN CONNECTION WITH STATEAIDED HOUSING SCHEMES. Before inviting tenders the Local Authority should communicate with the Director of Building Materials Supply, Ministry of Munitions, Caxton House, Tothill Street, London, S.W.1., who is purchasing on behalf of the Government considerable quantities of materials which will be required for housing schemes. The Local Authority should before inviting tenders ascertain from the Director the nominal prices of these articles, which prices should be used merely as a basis for tendering. These prices will be subject to adjustment as between the Ministry of Munitions and the Local Authority, the intention being that the Local Authority shall be charged not more than the actual cost to the Ministry of Munitions. It is desirable in the interest of economy and in order to ensure, if possible, that the requisite material will be available as and when required, that the Local Authority should purchase from the Director of Building Materials Supply the following articles : Bricks. Drain Pipes. Glass. It may in certain cases appear to the Local Authority that they are able to purchase more advantageously from local sources. The Board will not object to this course, but before the Local Authority purchase they must communicate with the Director of Building Materials Supply in order to ascertain whether or not their proposals are advantageous. If so, they will be authorised immediately to purchase. If otherwise, it will be understood that the Ministry of Munitions are able to purchase at least equally advantageously. In that event it will be desirable that the Ministry of Munitions should do so, in order that there may not be competitive buying for the same purpose. The Director of Building Materials Supply has also made, or is making, special arrangements for ensuring the economical production of the following materials, viz. : Cast-iron rain-water goods. Standard designs and patterns of these fittings and fixtures have been, or are being, selected, and will need to be specified. The standardised articles are such as may be manufactured by any makers. The selection of certain fixed standards has been adopted for the purpose of facilitating and cheapening production. These goods as specified will be purchased direct by the Local Authorities or contractors from manufacturers or agents at the prices which the Director of Building Materials Supply will notify from time to time. He will, upon application, submit nominal prices which will be used as p.c. items for purposes of tendering. The detail arrangements to be followed in obtaining these materials from manufacturers or merchants will be explained by the Director of Building Materials Supply upon the application of Local Authorities for particulars. A limited quantity of other building material is held by the Ministry of Munitions, and is available to Local Authorities at prices which the Director of Building Materials Supply will quote upon application. Such material includes the following: Doors. Window frames. The arrangements to be made for the financing of and accounting for materials supplied by the Ministry of Munitions to Local Authorities are as follows, viz. : : (1) A Schedule of nominal prices for the materials and articles supplied by the Government will be supplied by the Director of Building Materials Supply and used by the Local Authorities and building contractors as the basis of tenders. (2) The nominal prices will be estimated by the Building Materials Supply Department, and will include carriage to railway depôt nearest to the sphere of operations of the building contractor, or such depôt as may be mentioned in the contract. Cartage from the depôt, including loading there and unloading or stacking, or storage on the site, will be included by the building contractor in his tender. From the time the goods leave the manufacturer's premises or the premises where the manufacturer has stacked or stored them, they will be under the charge of the building contractor, who must make proper arrangements for their conveyance to the building site. Payment to manufacturers will be made by the Ministry of Munitions, who, subject as hereinafter provided in Article 5, in turn will be paid by the Local Authority for the materials supplied as requisitioned in the terms of Article 3. The cost of the carriage will be defrayed (in the first instance) by the building contractor. In making up the building contractor's interim and final accounts for the works, the supply of the materials will be treated as an ordinary variation of contract, i.e., the contractor will be credited with whatever he has properly expended in carriage, and debited by the Local |