Evening star. [volume], December 19, 1947, Page A-14, Image 14

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
' British Housing Drive
Lags, But Government
Sees Success by 1949
— By th« Associated Press
LONDON, Dec. 19.—A new home
is still a dream to thousands of ill
housed Britons. And the govern
ment’s efforts at house building in
1947 didn’t bring them much nearer
to firesides of their own.
Delays and red tape have been
the butt of jokes, and Tories and
Communists alike have belittled the
government’s housing program. Yet,
dsepite criticism and setbacks due
to last winter’s bad weather and
shortages, the government tells the
public that, come 1949, a goal will be
reached.
That target—set by the wartime
coalition government — is 750,000
new houses—a separate home for
every family that was forced to
live with inlaws or bunk in with
strangers.
But in 1947 the program lagged far
behind the planned rate of con
' struction. A total of 300,000 homes—
240,000 permanent and 60,000 tem
porary—were to be built. Actually,
up to October 31, only 106,662 per
manent and 39,625 temporary struc
tures had been put up. At that rate
the total for the year will be hardly
more than half of the 1947 target.
Labor Shortage Cited.
As early as last March, private
builders, complaining of “manpower
inefficiency,” voluminous paperwork
and other red tape, predicted that
the country would be lucky if it got
half of the 300,000 houses projected
_ for 1947.
In municipal and by-election cam
$ paigns, politicians, other than So
♦ cialists, have vied with each other
£ ridiculing the government's lack of
♦ progress in housing.
♦ A rugged individual, one John Pin
♦ nock of Bagshot, a nursery garden
♦ worker, announced he was complet
J ing his own house single-handed.
» He could hardly have been annoyed
♦ at the labor government, for he
$ started his house back in 1933. He
a called it “Armeria,” botanical name
♦ for “thrift.”
Family Builds Bungalow.
Thrift, however, didn’t help a
young couple with four children In
Laindon, Essex, who built £ bunga
low from two disused Army huts.
No one warned them that they were
infringing local building laws. They
were ordered a few weeks ago to
pull the bungalow down. Public
protest was so great that the urban
council finally granted the couple
a year's grace.
The government's policy in new
i housing is to provide homes first j
for workers in industry on which the
export drive depends. A shortage of'
timber has been blamed principally
for the delays in the housing pro
gram. So the government says:
"More exports mean more timber
—more timber means more houses.”
When Sir Stafford Cripps, chan
cellor of the exchequer, recently
announced restrictions on capital
expenditures, Aneurin Bevan, Min
ister of Health, under whose juris
diction home building is placed,
rushed to save housing from Sir
Stafford's ax. Mr. Bevan explained
that a stock pile of materials had
been built up, that the manufacture
of fittings was going well, that a bal
anced labor force had been organ
ized. and that any slackening would
be a waste of many months’ work.
One Program Pushed.
The government decided that the
need for new housing was so great
it would proceed with the building of
260,000 permanent homes now under
construction and 90,000 under con
tract. The building of temporary
homes had virtually ceased.
A white paper on capital Invest
ment in 1948, says "the timber im
ported in 1948 will govern the num
ber of houses which can be com
pleted in 1949.”
Since the beginning of the pro
gram, which dates back to March
31, 1945, a total of 296,924 houses
have been completed. With com
pletion of the 260,000 homes now un
der construction and 90,000 under
contract the total will be 646,924.
Add to this the new houses yet to
be approved and something like the
figure of 750,000 is reached.
The government ends its case with
this observation:
“Even on this basis it is expected
that the original target of 750,000
additional homes will be reached
early in 1949.”
New Government Ends
Year With Surplus
The newly established native
government of Basutoland, west of
Durban. South Africa, proudly an
nounced a surplus of $67,356 in its
budget at the end of the first year.
Fines and proceeds from the sale
of stray livestock no longer go into
the pockets of the chiefs, who now
are paid stipulated allowances. A
graded tax has been made effective
by which wealthier natives pay a
higher rate.
Canadian authorities say their
country contains a larger area of
fresh water than any other.
Enterprising Couple
Travels to Tropics Free
By tSe Associated Press
MEMPHIS, Tenn.—If you’re en
terprising, It’s possible to take your
wife on a year-long trip to the trop
ics at no expense.
Catching their breath here before
heading southward again, Mr. and
Mrs. J. E. McBride, of Los Angeles,
told how they did it.
In a small boat they traveled down
the California coast. The boat was
sold in Mexico for “a big price.” With
that stake they went prospecting.
The gravel deposits of British
Guiana paid off with about 60 ounces
of gold and 250 carats of diamonds,
Mr. McBride said. That balanced
the books.
Japs Reported Pilfering
Packages Sent to Need)
By the Associated Press
TOKYO. — Japanese postal am
customs employes are pilfering foo<
and clothing from packages sent fo:
Japan’s needy families.. the Tokyo
press complains.
r The system la to tear off the cus-1
toms declaration from incoming
packages so no one can tell what
they contained. Then the thieves
| remove some but not all the articles.
The Nippon Times says so far the
government hasn’t arrested any one.
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Practical and mighty important shoes to go straight
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For all kinds of weather, our MacHeath, Fletcher-tailored
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Boys’ Clothing, Second Floor
Also at Owr Spring Valley Shop
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of natural gold, 1 5
jewels, with strap.
$24.75
Pay 50e week (Tax Inc.)
h 2. WITTNAUER . . .
17 jewels, 14-kt.
? gold, world famous.
$59.50
Pay SI.35 week (Taxlnc.)
3. LONGINES . . . o
superb watch, 17
jewels, 14-kt. gold.
$110.00
P»y S3 week rToi Inc.)
4. ELGIN ... 15
jewels, exquisite
design. $29.75
Pmy 60e week (Tax Inc.)
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21 jewels, 14-kt.
natural gold-filled
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Psy SI.50 week (Tax Inc.)
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... 17 jewels, 14
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PsySl.SOweek (Taxlnc.)
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... 17 jewels, gold
filled cose, hand
some. $55.00
i’*y SI week (Taxlnc.)
8. BULOVA ... 21
jewels, gold-filled
ease, exquisite.
$49.50
Parllweek (Taxing.)
9. BULOVA . . .17
jewels, sturdy ease,
finely made.
$24.75
Par 90e week (Tax Inc.)
10. BENRUS ... 15
jewels, expansion
bracelet. $45.00
Parllweek (Taxlne.)
11. BULOVA ... 17
jewels, gold-filled
cose, mesh brace
let. $55.00
Pay tl week (Taxlnc.)
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17 jewels, beau
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Pay*1.80week (Taxlnc.)
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17 jewels, gold'
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Payfl week (Taxlnc.)
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