THE HOUSING PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 58, 3 December 1918, Page 3

THE HOUSING PROBLEM

COUNCILLOR, NORWOOD TABLES A NOTICE OF MOTION. By special 'permission at yestorday's meeting of the Wellington City Council, Councillor C. 13. Norwood gave notice that ho intended to move at the next meeting of thu council:— "That a special committee he set up to investigate and hring down a comprehensive report upon: (a) the housing question in all its bearings, with the estimated amount of money required to overcome present difficulties; (b) the best means of dealing with, and, if possible, eliminating' the slum areos within the city." Councillor Frost g.ivo support to the resolution, and Councillor James Godber indicated that there were certain localities in the city which could be swept away with benefit to the city , . Councillor E. A. Wright said that the council's powers were too restricted in dealing with old buildings. They could make by-laws, but many of them might be held to be unreasonable. There had been instances where cases had gone bofore the Court, and the by-laws under which the cases were brought had been held by the Judge to be unreasonable, and he had upset them. The power they were given to make by-laws was somewhat of a farco, because when taken to Court the by-laws could be upset. The Court had held, for example, that when a building could be repaired it could not be destroyed. He submittel that Parliament should give civic authorities greater powers, but at the same time Parliament was very jealous about giviiig powers, thinking that they might be abused. The overcrowding oP Wellington had been going on for years. Councillor Barber had mentioned tho people who had been driven in from the suburbs, which had no doubt led to four or -five families being accommodated in the one house. As long as, there was no epidemic that was all right. Yet notwffistunding such disabilities, Wellington vas one of the healthiest cities, which l;n nttributel to their excellent water and drainage services. Regarding the question of overcrowdinjr the point wns-where were they going to put the people? He thought that they shoall hiive power to extend their tramway system, but the Government opposed any movement layouring tramway services when they ran in opposition to the railways, yet thore were people at Ngaio and KhaiwUllah who would welcome a tramway service, and there was plenty of land there tfl build on. He submitted that the Government policy in that regard should be relaxed, ae they could never get a railway service that would be as handy as tho trams. The Mayor mentioned that ho had thought about the matter, and an it would bo necessary to coll the council together again in three or four days— the business referre dto the hydro-elec-tric scheme—he would be glad if the appointment of the proposed committee could stand down for the time being. Councillor Norwood: I am willing to withdraw the motion in favour of "any scheme that will meet'with the approval of the council.

lho Jfayor said that some such scheme would be submitted to councillors in tho course- of a few days.