The Daily News. MONDAY, MARCH 23, 1914. RATIONAL HOUSING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 252, 23 March 1914, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, MARCH 23, 1914. RATIONAL HOUSING.

she strength of a country is but a reflex of the strength of its people. That, and that alone, is the crucial test, for every nation must depend upon its people who constitute the nation itself. Much attention has been directed of recent years to the subject of eugenics, but it is now being directed to environment. The two causes of most moral and social evils arc heredity and environment. The former will take many years to overcome, but the latter can be taken in hand whenever and wherever public opinion forces the hands of the authorities. Some recent remarks made by Earl Grey at Wellington on the subject of town-planning contain much wisdom and truth, while they are certainly well timed. Although, as a rule, there is an absence of congestion in the towns and cities of New Zealand such as is to be found in older countries, the evil is not unknown, and the note of warning given by our distinguished visitor is one that should be taken to heart. It seems as if one of the most difficult lessons that people and especially those responsible for the administration of health matters, have to learn is that which concerns the use _« fresh air and adequate breathing space. In referring to the leneficial effect on physique, so conclusively demonstrated, by the new garden city movement in England, Earl Grey gave some very convincing statistics as to the beneficial effect of that excellent and well directed effort to improve the health of the people. He pointed put that in the garden ity of Hitchworih, a busy manufacturing town containing many industries and a population of , over eight thousand, drawn froin industrial centres the infant mortality was less than half of that In many other parts of Englantl. Comparing the deathrate in Liverpool with that of Hitch worth-, he pointed out that it was 13.1 per thousand in the former city and only IS.'! in the latter. This speaks for itself in no uncertain manner. It 1not surprising that in face of this ivvclation Karl Grey should regard townplanning as probably the most imparl ant of all the pressing social question*. Where there arc twenty cottages io the acre in England it has been found that the physique of the children ii very much better than it is in communities where working-class dwellings number sometimes thirty, forty or fifty to the same ,wa. Karl Grey considers J' tnat New Zealand has not a moment lo ' lose in tackling this question, and he i quite right in his contention. The; nee.t I for air spaces in cities is of paramom-t j importance, especially in those quartci ■> ! where the workers and poorer are housed. In spite of the comprehc■■>■ < sive legislation in New Zealand as i.i s sanitary matters there are constantly ' occurring cases that show how inctl'-c----tively these laws are carried out. Tbe agitation and practical work carried mi by the Society tor the Health of \V<k men and Children is doing some good. • but the fresh air cult will do much ■ more. When it is considered that lii- | welfare of nations depdnds on the hcnJi.ii ' and strength of the people, anil th..: > morals are so largely affected by .-;i- , vironment, it seems inexplicable to \':u: ' ordinary mind that the basic principle 1 of health are so little understood acu ', acted upon. Rational housing is th" | key to the success of home life, whe ■ 1 unhealthy surroundings drive numbers • o: families to undesirable places, aid not only undermine the physical facn! ties, but the moral as well. In thedays, when education plays such an portant part' in the national life, it is more than ever necessary to have ■'■ healthy body in order to possess a sound mind. No branch of study is more iv- . portant than that relating to the law-, of health. The most difficult part >•! the problem is how to deal with the poorer classes so as to ensure for the-.i clean and healthy conditions of life. The .State alone can take this matter in hand, and if the tusk is intelligent!, coped with many of the evils that ari-c from the Herding together of the lower tenth of the population will vanish. Admittedly, the question is not an canone to deal with, but the difficulties are certainly not insuperable. So much lat slake that no efforts should be spared by any country—least of all by New Zealand- to avoid the dangers and evils that are so patent where squalor and misery go hand in hand with con gestion.