At meetings on 6th February and 5th March, 1924. between the Minister of Health, the Minister of Labour, and representatives of employers and operatives in the building industry, the building industry was entrusted with the task of enquiring into the means of the industry for carrying forward a full Housing Programme. A Committee was accordingly formed representative of all sections of the building industries. The personnel of this Committee was as follows: Mr. W. H. NICHOLLS, National Federation of Fuilding Vice-Chairman: Mr. T. BARRON, National Federation of Building Trade Employers' Representatives : Mr. A. ANDREWS, National Federation of Master Painters. Mr. J. CLARK, National Association of Master Plasterers. Mr. J. CROAD, National Federation of Building Trades Em- Mr. C. E. FRANCE, Master Slaters' Federation. Mr. A. J. FORSDIKE, National Federation of Building Trades Employers Mr. J. C. GILCHRIST, Scottish National Building Trades Em- Mr. F. G. HODGES, National Federation of Building Trades Mr. H. T. HOLLOWAY, National Federation of Building Trades Employers. Mr. E. W. KING, National Federation of Building Trades Mr. H. MATTHEWS, National Federation of Building Trades Mr. A. MELVILLE, Scottish Building Contractors' Asso- Mr. H. R. SELLEY, National Federation of House Builders. Mr. E. J. STRANGE, National Federation of Building Trades Mr. A. G. WHITE, Secretary, National Federation of 47869 A 3 Representatives of National Federation of Building Trade Operatives : Mr. J. F. ARMOUR. Mr. G. HICKS. Mr. H. MCPHERSON. Mr. D. MERSON. Mr. R. COPPOCK, Secretary, National Federation of Building Mr. B. H. ROGERS, Ministry of Labour. At the first meeting of the Committee on 18th February, 1924, the general aspects of the position were reviewed, and it was decided that, in view of the limited time at the disposal of the Committee, and of the amount of work involved, certain sub-committees should be entrusted with the detailed consideration of special sections of the work. Four sub-committees were accordingly formed. These were :-The General Purposes Sub-Committee; the Materials Supply Sub-Committee; the Labour Supply Sub-Committee; and the Scottish Sub-Committee. The personnel of these sub-committees was as follows: The various Associations have also nominated the following additional representatives to assist mittee : Employers' Mr. D. Anderson. Mr. J. Irving. Mr. D. Pinkerton. the Scottish Sub-Com Operatives' The appointments of all Sub-Committees to be made through the Secretaries; the Chairman; Vice-Chairman; and the Secretaries to be ex-officio members of all Sub-Committees. Meetings of the full Committee and of the various SubCommittees were held from day to day. Meetings also took place with representatives of Building Material Manufacturers. The Scottish Sub-Committee also made a detailed inspection of certain Scottish Housing Schemes with a view to a comparison of costs with English types of Housing Schemes. To the General Purposes Committee fell the consideration of the wider questions connected with the problem of Housing. Questions as to length and size of the programme; the difficulties in actual operation of the Scheme; the analysis of costs, and general matters affecting Housing Schemes and contracts for private work. It was agreed that the views of the General Purposes Committee should be put forward in the following form. The Reports of the other Sub-Committees follow in their order. 17369 A 4 The previous experience of the Industry, the present difficulty and its solution. The previous experience of the Building Trade in regard to Government Housing Schemes has not been of a nature to inspire confidence in the industry. It should be said, however, that previous schemes were launched under circumstances of an unfavourable nature. Some of those difficulties have ceased to operate but one of them, the relative shortage of skilled labour in the Industry, still operates. Another difficulty was the high cost of producing houses, that has been favourably modified to a large extent, but the present day cost is such that working-class houses cannot be produced on an economically satisfactory basis, such as would induce the investment of capital, unless a subsidy is provided by the State. Experience has shown that the subsidy granted under the 1923 Act is insufficient, to produce the class of workmen's cottages required, because their rentals are beyond the means of the class for which such cottages are most urgently needed. V It is in these circumstances that the Minister of Health, the Minister of Labour, and the Secretary for Scotland, on behalf of the Government, have invited the Building Industry (Employers and Operatives), the Manufacturers of Building Materials and the Local Authorities, to study the problem as it now presents itself, and to make such proposals as they may deem suitable to enable the housing shortage to be overcome. The following is the report of the Building Industry in response to the Minister's request. This action on the part of the Government is highly appreciated by the Building Industry, and the organisations of the Employers and Operatives have heartily concurred and cooperated in an endeavour to give the Ministers the best advice in their power. The intimation which the Ministers gave at the outset, that the Government was prepared to consider a programme extending over a period of years has provided the essential factor enabling the Industry to contemplate the substantial additions to the skilled personnel of the Industry which will be found hereinafter set out. The causes of the depletion in the numbers of skilled craftsmen in the Building Industry are not far to seek. They may be shortly indicated thus: (1) The casual nature of employment, partly due to seasonal causes, partly to irregularity of demand for building work. (2) The drafts which other industries make upon the Labour Supply of our Industry for the purposes of those Industries e.g., maintenance staffs in large works, requirements in Shipbuilding, Cabinet Making, Wagon Building and the like. (3) The prolonged depression in our Industry which existed from about 1905-6 onwards until 1914. (4) The loss of personnel due to the war, post war time. conditions and also to emigration. The effects of causes 1, 3 and 4 upon the recruiting of apprentice labour have been deplorable on account of the want of confidence engendered thereby. The Committee therefore considers that it is primarily necessary to restore the confidence of both Employers and Workmen in✓ the future of the Industry, by providing the most stabilised conditions possible in regard to the demand for building work for a prolonged period. Having regard to the arrears of building of a general character, and to the vast arrears of house building, the Committee feels that the present juncture is a favourable one for securing that needful stabilisation of demand. The Committee, therefore, recommends that the further housing proposals of the Government should be based upon a definite continuous programme of 15 years. From information supplied it is understood that under the 1923 Act there are about 40,000 houses being built per year, and the Committee suggests that the new proposals should provide for a further 50,000 to be built the first year, increasing by further increments of houses per year until an extended maximum of 225,000 houses a year are reached, and maintained at that level until towards the end of the 15 years' programme. The attention of the Committee has been called to certain types of unit standard houses, now being constructed under the Housing Act, containing floor areas of 659 and 690 square feet. The Committee takes the strongest possible exception to such types being constructed to-day. The Committee objects principally to the adverse influences of such limited accommodation upon those living in the houses. The restricted floor area is moveover relatively more costly than the larger floor areas. There may be occasional applications for such types but the general demand is not great, and as the cost is proportionately higher, it is considered that no houses of this no houses of this construction should be sanctioned unless under exceptional circumstances. The Committee has given careful consideration to cost and as a result of careful examination is of opinion that houses are being built to-day at the lowest possible cost. In its judgment, taking the costs of labour and material as current on March 1st last, houses from 850 to 950 feet super of contained area, based upon the Schedule as supplied by the Ministry of Health, should, under normal circumstances, not exceed in cost from x to y per square foot. The cheaper price being for the larger area. This includes the house, paths, fences, and x and Health. 47869 y indicate information conveyed confidentially to the Ministry of ކ A 5 |