HOUSING CONDITIONS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 195, 16 May 1944, Page 6

HOUSING CONDITIONS

Mr. Roberts On Need For Overhaul PAST COUNCILS BLAMED

He had been in homes in Wellington that day and it was little short of a tragedv that people were compelled to live in them, said Mr. J. Roberts, Labour candidate for the Wellington mayoralty, speaking at the Kent Terrace Presbyterian Church Hall last night. The housing shortage and the slum problem had existed in Wellington for upward of 40 years. Past councils had talked about those problems. Was it to their credit that they still existed? The inhabitants of those houses had told him how they had slaved to keep them clean, but leaky roofs and borer and other factors thwarted their efforts. Mr. Hislop and Mr. Appleton had tried to defend the past council for failing to rectify the position by referring to shortages caused by the war, but they were members of the council during the slump period when it N-ould have been a Godsend to employ labour to remove the slums and build homes to house the people who lived in them. Now they tried to wriggle out of an explanation of their failure to do something by saying they could not condemn those houses because there were no others to accom modate the tenants. Labour had a policy to deal with both the housing shortage and the question or slum clearance. It was for the citizens to decide on May 27 whether they wanted action or the existing conditions. He was quite certain nothing would be done if the Citizens’ candidates were returned The Tory Citizens’ candidates continued to condemn in large advertisements the introduction by Labour of politics into. tbe administration of civic affairs. “Politics is defined as the art or science of government, and possibly that is the reason why there has been such mismanagement by Mr. ’ Appleton and the Citizens’ Party in the past,” Mr. Roberts said. "They did not recognize the fact that the art or science of government and administration was necessary in the city’s affairs. Labour, on the other hand, makes no apology for the introduction of civic polities.; as a matter of fact, i; would be impossible for any intelligent man or woman to be a candidate for any municipal position without introducing politics. If they did not introduce politics, they immediately admitted their inability to take part in effective civic administration.” . '

Labour stood for the abolition of the special representation on the harbour board of payers of ships’ dues, said Mr. E. A. Napier, harbour board candidate. He condemned the practice of the board publishing the earnings of waterside workers as an attempt to sow dissension among other workers. Actually they were not fabulous earnings when the long hours of work were considered.

“No charge on rates for running trams” was a slogan of the Citizens’ candidates, said Mr. P. A. Hansen at Kent Terrace. Their policy is to increase the fares and make the poor unfortunate who cannot afford a motor-car pay. Surely the voters of Wellington have not forgotten the attempt to put this policy in operation in 1940 by increasing tram fares; an attempt that was defeated only by the vigorous demand of the then Labour city councillors that the question should be referred to the Price Tribunal. As a result it is estimated that the public of Wellington saved £ll.OOO per annum.”

“I think the time has arrived when we should consider more improved methods of disposal of our domestic trade refuse on the; lines now in use in the larger cities of Britain and America,” said Mrs. C. Stewart at Brooklyn. “I refe rtb the installation of up-to-date plant to deal with the extraction of metals of all sorts, which in the past l)as been dumped into a tip. A vast amount of valuable material has been wasted in the past in this connexion, which, if salvaged,. would ultimately be. a source of revenue to the community.”

“Our complaint concerning the shed on a property in Taranaki Street, refered to recently by Mr. Appleton, is that the city council should have allowed it to be occupied after the hospital board had taken action to have it vacated' and the then tenant accommodated elsewhere,” said Mr. R. Holland, speaking at Brook-1-Tn’

“We want action —-not words about deeds,” said Mrs. Janet Savege at. Kent Terrace; in dealing with the question of a home nursing service. “Too many women are being discharged from hospital after surgical treatment somewhat too early for resuming the full responsibility of family life. We want these cases to be followed up by specially trained nurses and domestic workers, so that the mental ■ and bodily strain of operations can be eased and the first few weeks of convalescence made happier.

Hospital rating was not a matter that came within the'scope of the city council’s affairs, any more than such questions as the Bible in schools, the nationalization of banking, or the liquor issue, said Mr. A. Parlane at Brooklyn. ■ The present Tory council had turned the council into a Ifranch of the ratepayers’ association. Was it agy wonder such important matters as town planning, housing and so on had been neglected? * * *

Citizens’ candidates had commented on the large increase in the number of patients in the public hospital. They had also commented on the large number of houses in Wellington unfit for habitation, said Mr. -J. Fleming at Kent Tee. How could they expect to have a healthy community when there was so much poor accommodation? A Labour council would give housing first priority.

Mr. George Matthew at Brooklyn said Labour would see that tepid baths were built. He believed a healthy body meant a healthy mind. Referring to hospital i accommodation, he said school children should not be placed in wards with adults. After-care treatment was essential, but patients were being sent out of hospital with no proper rest home to go to. Labour would fail in its duty if it did not build a convalescent home for such people. TONIGHT’S MEETINGS Citizens’ candidates will address meetings tonight at the Town Hall, Karorl West Public School, and Karori Parish Hall, starting at 8 o’clock. There will be an open-air meeting at noon today at the Manners Street reserve. Labour candidates will nddress meetings tonight at the Mission Hall. Aro Street, and the Training College Hall, Kelburn. Both meetings will start at 8 o’clock. There will be a women’s meeting at the Parish Hall. Karori. starting at 2.30 p.m.