§ Mr. WEDGWOODasked the President of the Local Government Board whether 1658 he was aware that the Vacant Land Cultivation Society had provided means whereby a number of families had got opportunity to grow their own food on land within the metropolitan area which would, otherwise have been unused; and whether this method of reducing unemployment had the approval of the Local Government Board?
The Hon. MEMBERfurther asked the President of the Local Government Board (1) whether an application made to him by the Central (Unemployed) Body for a grant of £298 8s. to be expended in the clearance of unoccupied pieces of land in Westminster, loaned by the London County Council to the Vacant Land Cultivation Society, had been refused; and, if so, on what grounds; (2) whether an application made to him by the Central (Unemployed) Body for a grant of £516 19s., to be expended in the making of a sewer on Osea Island, off the coast of Essex, was granted; who was; the owner of the land benefited by the making of the sewer; and how much did he contribute towards the cost of this improvement?
§ The PRESIDENT of the LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. John Burns)read the replies as printed in the Official Report, 10th May, 1909 (cols. 1,576–1,578).
§ Mr. WEDGWOODOn what grounds; were the funds of the Central (Unemployed) Body used for improving the land of private persons, and refused when it was a question of improving the land of the London County Council; and, further, why were relief works provided on Osea Island, nearly 100 miles from London, instead of in the centre of London?
§ Mr. BURNSThe work on Osea Island, for public purposes and the benefit of the poor of East London, and from which no one derives any personal profit, was suggested to me by the Central (Unemployed) Body as a useful means of providing a number of men with work. On the condition that the owners of Osea Island provided the materials and bore many other expenses, I consented to give a certain sum towards the cost of the manual labour.
§ Mr. KEIR HARDIEHave not the Central (Unemployed) Body preferred a similar request with regard to these vacant lots?
§ Mr. BURNSYes, and in the exercise of our discretion, we declined to accede to it. Personally, I think that vacant lots or sites within three miles of Charing Cross, in 1659 congested districts, ought, preferably, if they are cleared, to be used for children's playgrounds, rather than for their fathers to use them for perfunctory agricultural operations instead of looking for work.
§ Mr. KEIR HARDIEIn the event of the Central (Unemployed) Body applying for a grant to have these vacant lots cleared as playgrounds, will a grant then be made?
§ Mr. BURNSThat I must deal with when the special circumstances of each case are brought before me.
§ Major RENTONWhat amount and what kind of food was grown on the vacant land specified in the first question.
§ Mr. BURNSI have no information, but my experience in my own neighbourhood was that small plots of land were mostly used for growing consumptive cabbages.