STORM DAMAGED HOUSES DEATHTRAPS

Chronicle (Levin), 11 June 1947, Page 8

STORM DAMAGED HOUSES DEATHTRAPS

" ^ . SYDNEY, June 9. Speakjng at the graveside of a baby who had tlied of pneumonia, the Rev. G. Van Eerde said that mothers who lived in sub-standard houses at Red fern were in constant fear for the health of their children. He reveaied iater that eight oeenpants of houses damaged in the hail storm on New Year's Day, and still unrepaired, had died of pneumonia in the last fortnight. Tlre victimg were elderly people or children.

Mr, Van Eerde, who is in charge of the youth Sydney Methodist Mission, added that the wet, poorly ventilated hoines were reeking with disease and that few of the occupants hatj, a hope of having a weatherproof roof over their lieads bpfore next Christmas, u Ari e^tatf f agpiit iWhd ; controls 700 damaged hoinfis toid me he expects- .the repairs .to.-- take ^longer than \ si.\ months," said Mr, VTan Eerde. ''"Be cause of the hoies in tlie roof it is imposs.ible for the occupants of these homes to keep their beds and clothing dry dnring r&iny ' vveathnr. It will be inipossiole before next summer for them to dry out their mattresses and blnnkets because few of the yards of these homes ever see the sun." Watersiders at ihe docks today refused to lo.ad galyanised iron on two ships as a protest over the delay in repairing the storm-damaged, roofs at Redfern. The Mal&ita and Montoro were loading iron for New Guinea, and the watersiders claimed it was to be used in buildings and sheds, although insuflicient was available for tlie Redfern houses. After referring the matter to their union otficials the men contijmed loading other cargo. The Minister of BuiJding Materials, Mr. Matthews, said that since the storm a fortnig'ht ago 350 tons of roofing iron had been made available to eouncils in tlie Redfern area, An inspection of the area had reveaied that a good deal of. the damage was due not to the storm but to the neglect of the properties by tttie owners over,. the past fifty years. Tlie Mayor of Redfern, Mr. ' A. Howarth, said that so far not oue sheelof iron Jiad ariived of tlie quantjty promised by the Government. About 500 houses had been repaired with iron bouglit legitimately or 011 the black market. "The real trouble is that we have tried to01 do in six months what should have taken fifty years," he added.