,Sta,—The review of my book Estimating Housing Needs in The
Spectator of January 24th is a distortion of its scope, which is clearly stated in Sir Patrick Abercrombie's foreword, and indeed in the title. I do not assume, not even for a moment, " that houses cost- nothing." Your reviewer's ridicule on that account misses thf mark and is sheer nonsense. Ccsts, however impertant, simply do not ccme into the picture (like many ' other important things—for instance, man-pz..wer) because I do not discuss house-production, nor do I intend to do so, contrary to your reviewer's assertion, in the proposed second volume. On the other hand, both volumes, the published and the one to come, belong to economics, namely, to the economics of consumption, as both are concerned with human needs and wants, and how these are affected by various factors.
The book deals with the population factor. It discusses, not the building of houses and the cost of such building, but the people for Whom the houses are built ; how many and what kind of people are IQ live in the houses, their sex, whether young or old, single or married, how to foresee and measure their needs. That is the demographic approach which I try to outline. I try, above all, to indicate how changes in the size, composition and structure of the population affect housing needs of a given area. Nothing of this vast and important subject which fills my book from beginning to end transpires in the review.
Even if we had to house armed forces, we should first enquire about the exact size and composition of the force. The task would be corn- Paratively easy because of the uniformity of Army units, and also because the information would be readily obtainable from the Army. Command. The housing of the population is much more complex, because of the diversity of its composition and structure. Moreover, the information available is incomplete and defective, but even this is hardly used at all by the planners, and, in addition, not properly used. I endeavour, therefore, to show where to look for and how to use and improve this information. This leads to the study of the census, which:l together with suggestions for the improvement of the census procedure, covers the greater part of my bcok.—Yours faithfully,
29 Attimore Road, Welwyn Garden City, Hens.
ALEXANDER BLOCK.
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