A reminder, today, 17th. November, we celebrate that great victory with pride.
CAUSES.
The first world war saw considerable change to the structure of
Glasgow's working class. Youth employment was common with boys as young
as 11 years of age employed as horse drawn van drivers. Also women being
employed in what until then had been all male trades. Ministry of
Munitions figures stated that by 1916 there were 18,500 women working in
metal trades in the Clydeside area. During the war the standard of
living improved considerably with near full employment, endless overtime
and restricted pub hours. After the war there was a tremendous rise in
unemployment and in poverty.
GLASGOW WOMEN’S HOUSING ASSOCIATION.
In pre First World war Glasgow there were a large number of empty
houses, by the year 1915 all were occupied by incoming workers to the
munitions and allied war industry trades. A shortage of workers and
materials saw a lack of maintenance and the housing stock deteriorate
rapidly. At the beginning of the war the landlords tried to implement
large rent increases, at risk were 7,000 pensioners and families whose
men were fighting in France. This brought about the formation of the
"Glasgow Women's Housing Association" and many local "Women's Housing
Associations" to resist the increases. All manner of peaceful activities
were used to prevent evictions and drive out the Sheriff's officers.
There were constant meetings in an attempt to be one step ahead of the
Sheriff's officers. All manner of communication was used to summon help,
everything from drums, bells, trumpets and anything that could be used
to create a warning sound to rally the supporters who were mainly women
as the men were at work in the yards and factories at these times. They
would then indulge in cramming into closes and stairs to prevent the
entry of the Sheriff's officers and so prevent them from carrying out
their evictions. They also used little paper bags of flour, peasmeal and
whiting as missiles directed at the bowler hatted officers. These
activities culminated on the 17th of November 1915 with the massive
demonstration and march of thousands through the city streets and on to
the Glasgow Sheriff's Court. This resulted in the immediate
implementation of the "1915 Rent Restriction Act" which benefited
tenants across the country. The Rent Act was to run for 6 months after
the war. However immediately after the war the Glasgow Property and
Factors' Association demanded large rent increases. The City's tenants
organised the Scottish Labour Housing Association. John Wheatley through
an ILP campaign helped to bring about the 1920 Rent Restriction Act.
The intended compromise was that there would be an immediate increase of
15% plus another 25% if essential repairs were done. The tenants,
however stated that there had been no repairs since 1914 and precious
few before that. On the 23rd of August 1920 a General Strike was called
and had a massive support in Glasgow. A large demonstration took place
on Glasgow Green and "Notices of Increase" were piled up and set alight.
The property owners response was to take out eviction orders in Court
against tenants who refused to pay. During the period between the 1920s
and the 1930s Glasgow's unemployment never fell below 20% with a
population of over 1,250,000. Unemployment in the city climbed to over
25% during the thirties. The Labour Housing Association pointed out that
the cases could be continued in the Sheriff Court, who were unlikely to
grant thousands of decrees for eviction of unemployed tenants. It
appears that the Glasgow Sheriffs were not unsympathetic to the plight
of the poor tenants. The "GLASGOW HERALD" , a newspaper not noted for
its sympathy towards the ordinary folk of Glasgow, carried an article
on, " ...the human consequences of this endless litigation against the
poor..."
LEGAL CONFUSION.
The numerous attempts at peaceful protest to the evictions
continued, using the same methods as before. Thousands of windows had
notices stating, "We are not paying rent increases" . The situation with
regards to tenants under Scots law was that when they signed their
original tenancy agreement accepting the rent the agreement was binding
on both parties as long as the tenant paid the stated rent. The factor
could not alter the rent without first issuing a Notice of Removal",
giving the tenant the option of accepting the new rent or vacating the
premises. On the 26th of November 1920 the Sheriff-substitute Menzies of
Dumbarton Sheriff Court held that the rent increases allowed by the
1920 "Rent Act" are invalid where no "Notice of Removal" had been given.
Further, rent increases paid under these circumstances could be
reclaimed by the tenants. At the same time, on the same day the Glasgow
Sheriff Court gave the opposite ruling on an identical case involving
"Emmanuel Shinwell", who was duly evicted. The Factors Association
appealed the Dumbarton Court decision all the way through the legal
system to the Law Lords and in each appeal the decision was to agree
with the Dumbarton Court's findings. The Glasgow "Rent Strike "
movement, though still continuing was now weaker than the situation in
Clydebank where it remained solid and very militant.
ASSESSMENT.
Due to the trouble and chaos of the rent situation the government
in January 1925 set up a commission under "Lord Constable" to look at
the whole affair of rented accommodation. This more or less brought
about the collapse of the "Rent Strike" movement. The rent strikes were
not led by any one person or group. This was a genuine popular struggle
involving; women, housewives, the "National Unemployed Workers
Movement", militants, organised vigilantes, propagandists and housing
associations.
