SLUM AREAS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 95, 15 January 1918, Page 7

SLUM AREAS

THE POSITION IN WELLINGTON

MAYOR ADVOCATES EARLY ACTION

From timo to time during ihe last Several years an occasional voioe lias teen raised, saying that something should be done to improve or to eliminate the congested areas of AVellington city, and not so very long ago the matter was brought prominently under notice through a big Auckland slum being '■wiped out and converted into a beau•tiful park. '. . .. . .' ■ -The Mayor of Wellington (Mr. J.- P. Xuke) has made a statement on. the subject to a Dominion reporter. . "As 'to the congested areas of the city," he said,'"l am sure that lam voicing.the opinion of the council when I express Tegret that we still have some of these areas which need to be remodelled, at an early date.. It.will require a very large, amount!of money to do the work, but that should not.be .a difficulty whioh cannot properly be got over by the people of the city. _. .. "It is. the clear duty of .the citizens las soon as. money is reasonably cheap to set about obtaining tbe necessary sanction to wipe, out these area's..as they stand to-day, and to. rebuild ihern; " lii the place.of what we see today there should be erected homes' that ■will he in keeping with the growth and ithe advancement of the city—homes of a class that are due. to the growing generations of the poorer classes. ■ "I do not think: that this_ can he done, under -the .present' functions of municipal government, and a movement to obtain'the necessary authority might meet with some opposition. But the council must! be given such powers that nothing can prevent it from carrying .put a work.which will.be one of. the imost important in connection with ;the public- health and ' happiness of the .-city.- '' • "■ . "Open spaces will no doubt be pro-' vided as opportunity presents itself. A valuable' suggestion was made a little (while ago in "respect "to tho present cemetery atThorndon, which-could-be remodelled, arid,in tinie niade into a resting-place" which would have all the. features of a.civic park. Of-course, [there.are difficulties, but some at least could be got over,- I. am not bow putting forward a scheme, but_ I am merely saying that if there is any place' which, could be converted into, a park in the heart of the city the people, ought to haye tlie courage to do . away : with barriers,and to make, the city more, attractive and a\greater benefit to the citizens."