"GOVERNMENT LAND= LORDISM."

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1110, 25 April 1911, Page 10

"GOVERNMENT LAND= LORDISM."

WHAT HAPPENED IN SYDNEY. EXCITING EXPERIENCES. "Individualist" writes:—"Quite a large number of people in the districts in which The Dojiixiox circulates aro land •nationalists and Socialists. That is, they want to see everything, the property of the Government or the municipalities, and they denounce with unsparing bitterness all landlords, land and. property owners, capitalists, shopkeepers, and employers of labour. • About eleven years ago the Government of New South Wales 'nationalised' what is known as tho 'Rocks Area,' and erected a large number of workmen's dwellings at a total- cost of £1,159,017. Much of the land is valued at from .£95 to j>lso per foot. If you will be so good as to find room for the enclosed account of a visit of the Premier as Government landlord, taken from the 'Daily Telegraph' of March 14, 1911, it will perhaps open the eyes of manj of your readers." The enclosure referred to is as fol"Tho Stale Premier (Mr. J. S. T. M'Gowen) toured through the Rocks Resumption. Area of Sydney yesterday morning. If his progress was not triumphal, it was, at least, exciting aud interesting. The object of his visit was to inquire into some serious complaints concerning the administration of the officers who had

io. management of the Government property, and transacted the business with tho Government tenants.

"It hid been alleged at a deputation representing tlie Darling Harbour Political Labour League, which Mr. M'Gowen had received last Friday, that many of the houses were badly in need of repair, and others wero unfit to live in.

"Mr. M'Gowen was accompanied by Mr. P. J. Cnchran, M.L.A., Aid. Fitzgerald, Mr. -J. Brock, and Mesdames Sutherland and Daws. The motor-car started through Harrington Street, and the notorious Dysr's Buildings wero inspected. The Premier did not complete the inspection. By tho light of matches ho managed to ascend to the second flat, when he-cried 'enough. , Tho vile odours of that central staircase! which winded through the centre of what were called workmen's flats, were responsible for the' decision that the first principles of sanitary and hygienic science demanded tho demolition of this pile of four-storied tenements. ".Proceeding along Harrington Street the fun began. Tho women of the district evidently expected the Premier's visit, and both ho and Jlr. Cochrau had a warm time compiilsorily inspecting the interiors of tho Government-owned dwellings. 'I'm getting a roasting,' repeatedly sighed Mr. M'Gowen. But there was no escape. They were literally pulled inside the houses, and as , soon as they emerged from one, there was a struggle amongst the women to decide whose house they should next inspect. Only by occasionally entering the motor and driving away from a particular neighbourhood was any breathing time obtained. "An inspection was made of Dawes Point, where it is proposed' to remove soino houses to give more, park room, and the Playfair Street stables wero also ". visited and , condemned. Mr. ' M'Gowen thought better use could bo made of the site for workmen's dwellings. In Gloucester Street serious complaints were made concerning the treatment alleged to be meted out by tho resumption area officers.

"At various points the deputation pointed out to tho Premier blocks of vacant land which were eligible for workmen's dwellings, and Mr. M'Gowen expressed his conviction that there was sufficient land, to erect cottages, for the waterside workers without herding them in tenements or forcing them to live long distances from their employment. He made no pronouncement concerning the problem of housing.' the aliens,., .which are principally Chinese. "After the tour was completed Mr. M'Gowen said that he was glad he had mado the inspection. Many of the houses were in a disgraceful condition, and repairs would be immediately ordered.

"At the deputation received by Mr. M'Gowen last Friday, by the expressed wish of the .Darling Harbour P.L.L., Mr. Carmichael was absent. He had given the deputation on the previous Monday, what was considered a hostile. reception. The object of the deputation was to place-be-fore the Premier, certain resolutions arrived at. by the-league, concerning the condition of. the houses, the question of baths, the alien question, and the administration of the resumption authorities. Mr. J. P. Cochran introduced the speaker.?. "Aid. Fitzgerald argued that allowing Chinese to occupy Government houses in the area was getting back to the old conditions, and was preventing the progress' that the resumption of the area was made for. lie objected strongly to the Chinese occupying houses that were wanted for the waterside workers. He characterised the attitude of the resumption officers towards the tenants as tyrannical. He alleged that there were blocks of vacant, land left idle after the demolition of tho houses ten j-ears ago. In his opinion there was plenty of land for workmen's cottage dwellings. "Mr. J. Butler (ex-president of the Seamen's Union) instanced a case of a man who had lived with his family for 30 years on the Eocks, but he was unable to get a house there now, and had to allow the family to livo in the suburbs and rent a room himself near his work. This meant two rents.

"Mr. J. Brock, president of the P.L.L., said that ho had lived 17 years in Princes Street. Prior to the resumptions it was the practice, for the private laudlords to renovate tlio houses at least once in two years, and effect repairs when necessary. Siuco the Government had owned' the houses there had been no renovation and no repairs in some instances for ten years, lie referred to the wellknown case where all the members of one family were taken at different times, over a short period, to tho hospital suffering from typhoid fever or diphtheria. This family still inhabited this house, because they had been refused another in the district. Ho advocated the erection of workmen's dwellings ■on the plan of the Napoleon Street cottages, at 14s. per week. Ho argued that tho shortage of labour on the wharves complained of in the press was due to the workers not being able to get homes to reside in, while whole terraces were occupied by Chinese. , "Tho women delegates on the deputation detailed instances of what they considered to he harsh treatment given to tenants by the Government; officers. "Mr. M'Cowen, in reply, surprised tho deputation by promising what amounted h ,i revocation of Jlr. Carmichnel's decision regarding extra rent, where baths were put into homes. Tho Premier announced that where necessary baths would be put into houses, and repairs effrcled without any extra rent being added He expressed himself in sympathy with the endeavours of the deputation to secure comfortable homes for the waterside workers in proximity to their work. ITo then, iiTHnjrcd to visit the district which ho did, as reported above. ,.