Chinese Grass Huts Ruled Out

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 25, 30 January 1937, Page 9 (Supplement)

Chinese Grass Huts Ruled Out

Or 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 international Settlement. The Shanghai Muncipal Council, on recommendation of its own Works Committee, has ruled that no more con struction will be allowed and that squatters’ huts within Settlement limits must bo progressively destroyeu by au annual quota system. At many points within the Settlement there are clusters of these mud and straw structures, in astonishing contrast with their steel-and-stone skyscraper backgrounds. The entire Settlement is to be divided into blocks fur purposes of the demolition scheme and Kind is to be cleared a block at a time, starting from the west—or outskirts, and eastern boundary being the Whangpoo river on which fronts the maiu business district—and working eastward. full responsibility lor carrying out the plan will rest upon the Public VVorks Department. Most ot the hut-dwellers live in the most abject poverty aud their homes reflect the fact, being built ot salvaged rubbish; roofs of straw or grass, walls of bamboo or reeds plastereu with mud, and floors of earth. Of course there are no sanitary arrangements whatever. Water supply is from canals or shallow pits. The occupants are factory workers, ricksha pullers aud similar people for the most part, but as the housing situation has grown more difficult 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, somo have radios, and municipal ligures show that 179 have electric light. One hut dweller is a chauffeur and uses his hut also as garage. Cost of the huts vary from nothing to around 3U dollars. Rooms may bo rented from about 10 cents a month to about an American dollar. Deceived “Why does your cook constantly sing the scale?" “Sho hears my son playing them and thinks they are the latest popular songs."—Hummel, Hamburg.