CLEARING THE SLUMS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 760, 5 September 1929, Page 8

CLEARING THE SLUMS

SUN’S POLICY UPHELD (The SUX'S Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Today. In its editorial support of Mr. F. N. Bfertram’-s appeal to the Auckland* City Council to institute a clearance policy of the city’s slum honses, THE SUN has earned tbc approbation of those who represent the workers in Parliament,, particularly of Mr. W. E. Parry, Labour member for Auckland Ctentral, who expresses his view he.?e. ~\TR. PARRY, who chatted with The Sun's Pitrliamentary reporter, complimented paper upon the following passage in the leading article mentioned: “In a lowly part of the general economic scheme the old and decrepit dwelling oYAon lias a place, because it liappen.s to be the only type of habitation that unfortunate people of very limited means can afford. Except in very f€*w cases, the people who live in a hefuse that is rotting on its foundations are decidedly not living there from choice, but simply because the rent .for such a place is usually low, and they cannot faco the expense of moving to soniethisg better.” “I desire to compliment The Sun on this article,” Mr. Parry said. “It ia indeed time that thiW question waa ventilated, and the Gctvermnent made aware of the difficulties under which this section of the -workers lives. “Year after year I h ive raised this important aspect of ttfe question in the House —including itiis session—• and appealed to the Government to set aside the interest on low rate loans that were borrowocr in the early days of advances, to be us ed to build homes for low-paid and jfntermittent workers. These people, hiave never been able to take advantage of the Advances Department, because the interest on the loans was siarh that it made impossible the butflding of homes.” Mr. Parry commented also-jipon the following passage from tftne same article: Footpaths scored by watier runnels; alleys paved loosely wifch cinders instead of macadam or bitumen; lanes overgrown with gj*ass or littered with rubbish—all the.«£* offer their evidence of neglect. • . m “This neglect of roads and footpaths on the part of the City Coiuncil is an absolute scandal,” Mr. Barry said, “and I wish to say that witiJOn » stone’s throw of the City Council itself, the roads and footpaths are worse than you will find in some* of the isolated small country towns. “On behalf of a large section of those who are affected, I wish to express my thanks to The Sun for having ventilated this important matter.”