HOUSING QUESTION

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 36, 11 August 1936, Page 15

HOUSING QUESTION

INTERESTING ADDRESS

A comfortable room, a blazing fire, lan appetising meal, and the table gay with holly and pussy-willow, made an attractive background to the evening lecture of the Business Women's Round Table Club at the Y.W.C.A. The speaker was Miss England, of the National Council of Women, her subject being "The Housing Question." She was introduced by the president, Miss Hiarper. Miss England traced 'the need of housing far back into the last century when with the development of industries and the period of agricultural depression during 1860-1890, people flocked to the towns, causing acute congestion and giving opportunity to owners of large ~6ld houses and blocks of buildings, which, without adequate lighting, heating, or sanitation arrangements were let to live in. These' naturally quickly became slum areas. These conditions also applied all over Europe in large cities and in parts of America.

Rows of small, jerry-built, semi-de-tached basement houses sprang up in Liverpool, Birmingham, and other cities, each house being let to four families. Dickens and other writers and philanthropists did much to arouse the conscience of England to the conditions in which poor people lived, and slum cleaning began. The wholesale cleaning of "slqrn nests," however, made conditions more difficult still, for those turned out of their miserable homes had nowhere else to go. The idea of building large blocks of flats came next, but is now recognised, said the speaker, as an unsuitable manner in which to house families with children. Though large blocks of small flats with balconies had been an improvement, they were no place in w.hich to bring up children, as there was nowhere for the young ones to play. In 1933 a survey was taken of the conditions existing in fifteen cities in England. It was found that there were 517,000 cases of people living three in one room and 2,977,965 living 1£ to one room. It-was now illegal to let under such conditions. In fact the peoples' conscience had been shocked into action, and one feature of the housing schemes now in hand was voluntary organisations on a share basis, to raise capital to rebuild whole slum areas, and to buy up land in suitable districts for garden, suburbs. ■■ .'■

This work, said Miss England, was steadily proceeding. Families were being reinstated in better homes as the new blocks were built. All got a fair chance. In Somers- Town estate near Euston these homes were progressing rapidly. Rents were very low, 13s 6d per week for a modern well-equipped three-roomed flat and all conveniences. Window garden competitions were a feature of many of these new blocks. A new system of rent, collecting had arisen under the organisation of Miss Octavia Hill, whereby trained women collected rent for each estate under a manageress. These collectors took a pride in knowing and helping the tenants in every possible way. It was recognised that the ideal of today was a separate home for every family, each with its small gardeD and yard where children might play, and as a New Zealand woman had recently said, "When the door need not be shut."

Flats, stated Miss England, were suitable for single men and women and for business and elderly people, but not in which to bring up children.

• "It-is said that land is scarce in Wellington," said Miss ■ England, "but go up on the hills and look down and see that there is more land available than is realised. Too many families in Wellington have inadequate cooking facilities, washing, and sanitation." She personally knew of many so-called homes, where a gas ring served to cook for the whole family, with one pot and one kettle, and one bowl for both toilet and culinary uses. One had not to look far to realise that even in healthy New Zealand the need for a thorough housing system was urgently, needed.

Miss England was heartily applauded for her informative address..