Melbourne Urged to Adopt Huge Housing Scherae

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 20, 16 October 1937, Page 16

Melbourne Urged to Adopt Huge Housing Scherae

MELBOTJBNE, — After months of intensive inquiry within a five-mile xadius of the city centre, the Housing Investigation. and Slunx Abolition Board has announced its intention of recommending to the State Government the demolition of thousands of Melbourne's inner suburban houses and the initiation of a progressive rehousing scheme that will cost millions of pounds. The boaTd favours the creation of a permanent rehousing authority with power to condemn houses deemed unfit for habitation. ,At present, only the municipalities possess this power and ahy large-seale rehousing sehexnes suggested here in t]ie past have been defeated by the varying policies of these, councils. Honorary Minister Henry Pye, chairman of the board, says it is inevitable that Melbourne Tehousing will include the erection of numerous blocks of flats. There is only limited housing space in the inner suburbs that will be affected by the demolitions. The. contentious question .of workers ' faro reduetions stands in the way of the transfer of many families to outer suburbs. The rehousing scheine eventually adopted by the Yictoria Government will not be undertaken in one operation if the reeommendations of the board are followed. Conditions peculiar to each distriet will be met by the erection of flats, double houses or separate cottages. Terms of referenee under which present investigations are being made include only inner suburbs but it is planned to extend the survey to outer areas, too. Census takers are making house-to-house inspections and, in some suburban "pockets," they have discovered the existence of deplorable living conditions. In urging the adoption of their reeommendations, board members say Yictoria is one of the most backward parts of the British Empire in dealing with the urgent problem of rehousing. i | Chorus Girl: "I stand in front of my mirror for hours admiring my beauty. I suppose you'd-call that vanity?" 1 Eriend: "No — imagination.,'' ^