Chinese Grass Huts Ruled Out

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 13, 30 January 1937, Page 17

Chinese Grass Huts Ruled Out

OF SHANGHAI' S MODERN HOUSING SHANGHAI — Chinese grass huts, picturesque but rather too literally "close to the soil, " have been ruled out of keeping with the spirit of modern housing in Shanghai 's Internationai Settlement. The Shanghai Muncipal Oouncil, on recommendation of its own Works. Committee, has ruled that xxo more construction will be allowed and thal squatters' huts within Settlement limits must bo progxAssively destroyed by ah anquai quota system. At many points within the Settlement there are clusters of these mud and straw structures, in astonislxing' eontrast with their steel-and-stone skyscraper backgrounds. The entire- Settlement is to be divided into blocks for purposes of the deinolition sclxeme and land is to be. cleared a block at a time, starting from the west— -or outskirt3, and eastern boundary being the Whangpoo river on which fronts the main business distribt — and working eastward. Fuli responsibility for carrying ont the plafi will rest upoh the Public Works Department. Most of the hut-dwellers live in the most abjeet poverty and their homes reflect the fact, being built of salvaged rubbish; roofs of straw or grass, wails of bamboo or reeds plastered with mud, and floors of earth. Of course there are no sanitary arrangements whatever. Water supply is from canals.or shallow pits. The occupauts are iactory workers, ricksha pullers and similar people for the most part, but as the housing situation has grown more difiicult and the "Shanghai depression" has persisted, some of the huts reflect the influx of those formerly accustomed to better living standards. Some huts have quite good furniture, some have radios, and municipal figures show that 179 have electric light. One hut dwelier is a chauffeur and uses his hut also as garage. Cost of the "huts vary from nothing to around 30 dollafs. Room3 may be rented from about 10 cents a month to about an American dollar.