Major Frank Heilgers: The hon. Member also said that he would like to see a needle put into rural district councils, and that he would like housing in the rural areas to be put in the hands of the county councils.
Major Frank Heilgers: I apologise if I misunderstood the hon. Member. I believe that rural district councils are the proper authorities to do housing in the rural areas and that they have done very good work.
Major Frank Heilgers: I think the county council is too big and wide a body to deal with housing and that in many counties, particularly as regards the Housing (Rural Workers) Act with which they have had to deal, they have put up a rather poor show. I would not recommend that housing should be given to them. The hon. Member for Greenock (Mr. R. Gibson) spoke about flats. I do not know what the procedure is in...
Major Frank Heilgers: That is a very reasonable question. I would remind the hon. Member that I said that I do not think too many tied cottages are desirable; but if I did fall out with one of my men and he wanted to go. he would have certain safeguards. In the first place, there is the safeguard, although not a very big one, that if I wanted to put another keyman into the house, I should first of all go to the...
Major Frank Heilgers: I am sorry, Captain Bourne. I was only trying to answer interruptions. Those who live in villages—and I think it is desirable that housing should be concentrated in villages—suffer from some disadvantages. I came across an instance the other day. I was asked to visit some people in my own village. Their trouble was that at a recent sale of a farm the cottages in which they live had been...
Major Frank Heilgers: That is true, but I would also point out that one man who works for me and who recently got into a brand new council house of the latest type, has asked me to build a house for him because he wants to be nearer his work.
Major Frank Heilgers: I agree, but under this Bill we are going to build houses more cheaply, and we hope to be able to let them at reasonable rents. I could not afford, myself, to build houses. The houses which I built last year cost £700. and I am getting 5s. a week rent for them, and that is not an economic proposition. I make one plea to the Parliamentary Secretary. It seems a great pity that while we...
Major Frank Heilgers: I am sorry if my feelings on that subject have led me beyond the Rules of Order. I believe that this Resolution will provide an adequate subsidy. No subsidy is any use, unless it provides houses within the means of those who are to live in them. A penny on the rent means a penny less for bread. I think it can be said that in slum clearance and dealing with overcrowding under the provisions of...
Major Frank Heilgers: Were these troops provided with mosquito nets when they were sleeping in bell tents?
Major Frank Heilgers: Does the hon. Gentleman deny the fact that the beet- sugar subsidy has kept a great number of men in employment?
Major Frank Heilgers: I do not intend to follow the hon. Member on his various points, but I noticed that he said he was a member of the mining industry and that he referred to the cost of living. That is undoubtedly a serious thing, and I would point out, incidentally, that the Co-operative societies are refusing to increase the wages of their employés because the cost of living is still not as high as it was in...
Major Frank Heilgers: The wage varies from district to district, and I can only say that in my part of the world the average wage is between 45s. and 60s. a week.
Major Frank Heilgers: The hon. Member might give me the credit of having said that I was intervening for only a short time for the specific purpose of thanking the Government on behalf of the gamekeepers.
Major Frank Heilgers: May I then say that if I had gone on speaking about the rest of the Bill, about which I confess I do not know much, I should have kept the hon. Member from delivering his speech?
Major Frank Heilgers: asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is now able to say when he expects to receive the report of the Departmental Committee on Compulsory Insurance?
Major Frank Heilgers: What percentage of the first-class mail does the 5½ tons represent?
Major Frank Heilgers: Can the Foreign Secretary say whether the observers will continue to make their reports to the appropriate authority?
Major Frank Heilgers: I want to make only one or two remarks on the observations of the hon. Member for North Aberdeen (Mr. Garro Jones). He emphasised in particular the large incomes from country houses surrounded by farms. Is that entirely true? Is it not the case that the greater part of the country is in the hands of the owner-occupier of his farm, who in many cases are very small men. I am one of them, and...
Major Frank Heilgers: My point is that such estates are vanishing quickly and that the greater proportion of the country is in the hands of the small owner-occupier of farms. I do not agree with the hon. Member. If a man leaves, say, £4,000, probably his farm would have to be sold and broken up to meet Death Duties. There is one other point, although it does not really worry me very much because I am a bachelor.
Major Frank Heilgers: I thank the hon. Member for his encouragement. I live in the countryside and I see capital going from the land. One of the things which are very much hampered by this depletion of capital from the countryside is rural housing. You may see many houses going up but they are on private estates, because people cannot afford to put up houses on agricultural estates if they have to face the heavy...