Serious obstacles to be overcome.-The Local Government Board were asked in August, 1899: "To allow the Council to postpone the sinking fund for the first five years in the case of the new Workmen's Dwellings Loan, on the ground that they would have to provide a sum of £804 11S. to meet the loan charges for a period of eighteen months or so (during which no income would accrue), before the buildings are completed." In reply, the Board stated that they had no power to give to the Town Council such a dispensation from their statutory obligations as is proposed." At the same time the Board also refused to allow a longer period than 40 years for the proposed loan.

The greatest hindrance, however, has been due to the opposition of some of the interests connected with the building trade and with existing cottage property, who do not like the provision of such good dwellings at such low rents compared with their own property. These interests have gradually grown more powerful on the Town Council during the past five years, owing to the fact that they almost entirely control the three smallest electoral wards in the borough, which, although containing only a decided minority of the ratepayers, have been recently enabled by an accidental re-arrangement of the wards, to elect a large majority of the Town Council. It need scarcely be said that the wards containing the great majority of the ratepayers, although helpless in the matter of representation, are always strongly in favour of helping rather than hindering their own municipal housing schemes. Hence there has been a wholesome moral check on open and avowed "wrecking," but although matters had gone too far to enable the various hostile interests to prevent the carrying out of the second scheme, all sorts of obstacles necessitating delay, and additional expense were interposed.

The most serious result of unnecessary delay was the postponement of the scheme until a time when building materials were at the top prices, and the rate of interest on loans had gone up (mainly owing to the war), from 2 to 3 per cent. Had the scheme been carried out when it was first proposed, the financial position would have been better to the extent of at least £150 per annum.

Fortunately, however, a reaction against the dominating influence of these "interests" in the three small minority wards has already begun, and there are signs that the great body of wavering Conservative opinion on the Council, is inclined to lean to public rather than private interests, in view of the vital questions of health, decency, and social well-being which are involved.

The importance of having a friendly and sympathetic executive body for the carrying out of municipal housing schemes cannot be too much emphasised. Mere neglect, indifference, or inexperience, can always leave loopholes for grave blunders in carrying out commercial undertakings like these municipal dwellings; and it is even more obvious that active and insidious hostility can in time wreck any scheme, however well planned.

How the Local Government Board unwittingly helped the Richmond Scheme.—In 1901, the Local Government Board, by the issue of regulations allowing local authorities under certain conditions to apply their sinking fund moneys for new borrowings, unwittingly enabled the Town Council to gradually convert their temporary 3 and 3 per cent. Workmen's Dwellings Loans, into 3 per cent. permanent loans, thus minimising, to a certain extent, the difficulty of high interest, and effecting an economy of about £75 per annum for the future. This is an interesting example of how easily the Local Government Board, by simple departmental regulation, can remove obstacles to the successful working of municipal housing schemes.

THE RICHMOND TENANTS.

The cottages are occupied by the persons for whom they were intended, that is to say, not merely the poorest poor, but representatives of all grades of workmen, skilled and unskilled, who were in need of healthy homes, and who wished to raise the standard of decency and comfort by bringing up their families in better surroundings than those they had previously been able to secure. Some came from overcrowded dwellings where they had occupied only two or three rooms; some from slum courts and alleys; some from houses where the landlord wished to increase the rent on account of sanitary works carried out by order of the Council; and others from houses which, although neither insanitary nor overcrowded, were, from high rents or other causes, not such desirable residences as those provided by the Council.

The weekly wages of the tenants vary from 18s. to 35s., but mostly average about 255.

Their occupations, which are typical of those of the workingclasses of a residential villa district, are as follows :—

The general labourers, policemen, railway men, and gasworkers obtained most cottages in the ballot, simply because such a large number of them applied.

Applications for the cottages have to be made upon the appended form, and subject to the following regulations :

BOROUGH OF RICHMOND (SURREY).

WORKMEN'S Dwellings, Manor Road.

Application for a Dwelling.

Applicant's Name

Occupation

Present Address

How long Resident in the Borc ugh?

*Name of Employer

Indicate by a X which class of dwelling (as described below) is required :—

Whether Married or Single

*Number and Ages of Boys residing with Tenant

*Number and Ages of Girls residing with Tenant

Do you agree to abide by the Regulations set out on the other side hereof

Name and address of Person to whom Applicant refers as to his character and responsibility

Signature

* NOTE.—The object of the above questions was to ensure that those working in Richmond should have preference in the first instance, and that there should be no overcrowding of the small cottages by large families.

Regulations.

1. The Rents are due in advance on Monday in each week. The authorised Collector of the Corporation will collect the rents weekly, and give receipts therefor in a Rent Book. The Tenants should see that all sums paid to the Collector are entered in the Book. The Tenants must produce their Rent Book to the Collector or Borough Accountant whenever required to do so. If the Rent is in arrear at any time, the Corporation may at once give the defaulting Tenant notice to quit the dwelling. The Rates and Taxes (including Water Rate) will be paid by the

Corporation. The Tenancy is determinable by one week's notice to quit, to be given in writing by either side before 12 o'clock (noon) on Mondays, but subject to Regulation No. 14.

2. A Deposit of Five Shillings will be required from each Tenant, before taking possession, which will be held as security for the repair of cracked or broken glass, or other damage, or loss of keys, and will be returned at the expiration of the tenancy, subject to any deduction for above purposes, and to any rent due, and to the terms of Regulation No. 14.

3. Fences, paving, or any other part of the premises, or the fittings therein, damaged by the Tenant, or through his negligence, will be repaired by the Corporation at the cost of the Tenant. Cracked or broken glass must be immediately replaced by the Tenant. Chimneys in use must be swept once at least in every six months.

4. No Tenant will be permitted to underlet, or take in lodgers, or to keep a shop, store, warehouse, or laundry of any kind without obtaining the previous sanction of the Corporation.

5. The placing in the Water Closet of rags, cotton, bottles, or anything likely to choke it, or the drain, is strictly prohibited. In case of violation of this Regulation the expense of clearing the W.C. or drain will be charged to the Tenant.

6. Ashes and dry house refuse only are to be thrown into the dust bins. All liquid refuse is to be thrown down the Water Closet, or Sink, according to the nature of the fluid.

7. Intimation must immediately be given to the Sanitary Inspector (at the Town Hall) of any case of infectious or contagious disease occurring in the dwelling, and the Tenant must agree to allow the person affected to be removed to a Hospital.

8. Tenants are not allowed to paper, paint, or drive nails into the walls or woodwork of their dwelling without the consent of the Borough Surveyor.

9. The Collector is not permitted to accept any gratuity whatever.

10. The Corporation shall be at liberty, by their agents or workmen, to enter and inspect the state of repair and cleanliness of any dwelling, at all reasonable hours of the day, and to execute any repairs therein.

11. No Animals, Fowls, or Pigeons shall be allowed to be kept on the premises without the consent of the Borough Surveyor.

12. No trees or shrubs on the premises shall be cut down or removed without the consent of the Borough Surveyor.

13. Tenants shall not, without the previous consent of the Borough Surveyor, erect on the premises any Toolhouse, Shed, Greenhouse, Fowlhouse, or other building.

14. Any Tenant who, in the opinion of the Borough Surveyor, shall neglect to observe these regulations, or misuse, or improperly occupy any of these dwellings, or causes or creates any discomfort or inconvenience to the neighbours, shall be subject to notice under Clause 1, and to the forfeiture of the deposit, without a remedy of any kind on account of such notice and forfeiture, and the Corporation shall not be liable for any claim by such tenant for any damage arising therefrom.

15. Tenants are required to keep the dwellings and the gardens (front and back) in a clean and orderly condition.

16. Any person who, or whose wife, or husband, at any time while such a person is a Tenant or occupier of any dwelling, or any part of a dwelling, receives any relief under the Acts relating to the relief of the Poor, other than relief granted on account only of accident or temporary illness, is thereupon disqualified from continuing to be such Tenant or Occupier. (Section 63 of the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890).

17. The entry into possession by a Tenant of any of these dwellings shall be conclusive evidence, as against such Tenant, of his concurrence in, and acceptance of, all the foregoing conditions, and of his agreement to be bound thereby.

18. The decision of the Borough Surveyor upon any matter or question arising out of the above regulations (except as to the amount of rent due), is to be binding on the Corporation and Tenant.

As these regulations are made for the benefit of all the tenants, they are earnestly requested to see that they are conformed to in all respects.

Form of Agreement.

Having read the foregoing Conditions of Tenancy, I

agree to become the Tenant of No. dwellings, at the Weekly Rent of Shillings and

of the above

Pence, from the

Witness

Address

day of

Tenant's Signature,

Date

next.

189

NOTE.-Regulations 4, 8, 11, and 13 are only enforced in cases where injury to the property, annoyance to the neighbours, or overcrowding of the houses would be

caused.

TWENTY IMPORTANT CONCLUSIONS.

Financial gain to the Ratepayers.

1. The carrying out of this scheme has not and will not cost the ratepayers a single penny.

2. There is a clear margin of nett profit over and above the £486 per annum which goes to the Sinking Fund. The total accumulated profits already (1902) amount to over £2,000.

3. The dwellings contribute about £500 every year to the funds of the Corporation in the form of rates.

4. At the end of forty-two years from 1897 the Council will be in possession of a property worth £35,000, and producing a nett income over £1,600 a year, and this without having paid anything for it out of the rates.

5. One hundred and thirty-two old-age pensions of 5s. a week without cost to the ratepayers can be given in 38 years' time from the nett rents of the cottages.