Welsh Journals

Housing and Some events of considerable signifi- Town- cance and good omen to the cause Planning. of better Housing in Wales have occurred within the past few weeks. The first is a letter addressed by Mr. John Bums to Mr. Hobhouse-the Chairman of the Somerset County Council-in regard to Housing in Rural Districts. It appears that some Rural District Councils have taken the announcement of the Government Housing policy as a reason for refraining from carrying out their statutory duty of providing housing accommodation, where private enterprise has failed to meet the demand. Mr. Bums' letter gives, on behalf of the Government, an assurance that, when the necessary powers are obtained, the State will be willing to take over the Council's cottages with the liabilities then outstanding in respect of them. This will remove the principal objection to the building of houses for rural labourers, viz the fear of a financial deficiency which would fall upon the Rates. Under the terms of Mr. Burns' letter any such deficiency will eventually be borne by the State. We hope that members of Local Author- ities will not be slow to appreciate the great opport- unities now afforded of improving rural housing conditions within their areas, and that the Welsh County Councils will show the same vigilance as Monmouthshire in stimulating -Rural Districts Councils to action. In Cardiff and other towns in Wales a right sense of civic dignity is slowly growing up, and has produced stately public buildings of which their citizens are justly proud. Is there any reason why the beauty of the villages and the character of the cottages should not be of equal concern to the County and Rural District Councils of Wales ? Of equally good omen is the fact that two important Authorities in North Wales-the Borough and Rural District Councils of Wrexham-have already applied to the Local Government Board for permission to prepare Town-Planning Schemes for some 5,000 acres under the powers of the Housing, Town- Planning Act, etc. We believe that the Wrexham Councils are the first in Wales to tackle Town- Planning seriously and it speaks well for the public spirit of the district that the Councils are moving in a direction which will make possible one compre- hensive Scheme for the future development of the industrial areas in North Wales. Hardly any district affords more striking examples of the neglect of Town-Planning in the past than are to be met with in the scattered mining, brick making and steel smelting villages of East Denbighshire, which have grown haphazard from small industrial settlements to towns of 5,000 to 10,000 people. No Act of Par- liament gives greater scope to a Local Authority with imagination and public spirit to safeguard the future environment of its people, and to prevent a repetition of the abominable slums and dingy, monotonous rows that are the shame of our Country to-day. We congratulate the Wrexham Councils on the honour of being pioneers in Wales in facing their responsibilities under the Act, and hope that their example will be speedily emulated by the Local Authorities responsible for the mining valleys of South Wales. Public v. If one were in search of evidence of Private the conflict which sometimes exists Interests. between public and private interests it could be found in the recent experiences of the Welsh National Memorial Associa- tion, in connection with sites and buildings for hospitals and sanatoria. We are informed that, in several cases, when a site has been definitely decided upon and terms agreed, opponents have adopted every means to prevent the erection of the proposed institution. The usual defence is we are in sincere sympathy with the great work of your Association but protest against the choice of a site near our property when you have the whole of the rest of Wales to choose from." This attitude, which is inspired partly by fear of infection and partly by fear of financial loss, not only hampers and delays the campaign against Tubercu- losis, but involves the danger of grave injustice to the unfortunate victims of the disease. It cannot be too strongly urged that a person afflicted with tuberculosis is no menace to his neighbours, if he takes certain simple precautions and in hospitals and sanatoria he is not only taught what these precautions are, but is obliged to observe them. It must be obvious that the risk of infection by patients in a properly conducted institution is far less than we are all obliged to take in railway carriages and public places where the habit of spitting still continues. Many considerations are involved in the choice of an ideal sanatorium site, and a tuberculosis in- stitution cannot be established A in a position far removed from human habitation. Apart from these considerations it is surely questionable whether the inclusion of victims of tuberculosis in the category of lepers is consistent with the most elementary principles of Christianity. Even if it were possible and desirable to acquire Lundy Island or the summit of Cader Idris, or the peat bog near Tregaron, and to surround such unobjectionable sites with pillars of cloud by day and pillars of fire by night, we are not convinced that there would be freedom from criticism I