Vigilantes Vindicated

Britain's Vigilantes (TIME, July 23) won a notable victory last week. Their program of illegally commandeering empty houses for servicemen's families was adopted by the Government, but it was to be carried out with due legal process.

In one of the caretaker Government's last acts, the Ministry of Health gave local authorities full power to requisition unused residences. Owners received 14 days' grace to occupy vacant premises. Alternative: the Government would take over.

In Brighton, where the Vigilantes first began to enter and expropriate homes, requisition notices promptly appeared on 60 unoccupied houses. Local authorities were also empowered to license housing repairs to make sure requisitioned buildings would be habitable.

Ill-housed Britons knew full well that the success of the Vigilante movement was only a scratch on the nationwide surface of the housing problem. In the next ten years, Britain will need five million new houses.

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