FOR BETTER HOUSING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 7, 27 May 1914, Page 5

FOR BETTER HOUSING.

SOME SHOCKING CONDITIONS IN WELLINGTON. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. In the course of an eloquent address at the Victoria League meeting this evening, Dr. Platts-Mills urged that there was a great deal of work before the people of the Dominion in town-plan-ning_ and the establishment of better housing conditions for the poorer classes. People were apt, she said, not to bother about this subject, because they were used to hearing such favorable comparisons between New Zealand and the older countries. When Si» William Lever was m Wellington, to had sa:d to her, "What do you want town-plan-ning here for? You live in palaces." That was all very well until people looked into the matter. Sho could take tin; members of the League—and sine wished that some lime they would give her the opportunity—to a street where there was a row of fairly good-looking houses, but if they went down an alleyway, past a dirty stable, they would come, upon a tumble-down three-roomed dwelling in which lived a family of eight, the mother aud father and six children, the elder of whom was a girl of eleven. The hovel, which undoubtedly it was, had absolutely 110 conveniences, nnd was sordid to a degree. One tap outside was the one source of wa*or, and the little irirl of eleven had admitted that except the babies, who were ! bathed in the washing-up. basin, none of I lie family enjoyed the, luxury of a bath. That family was from England. The father was often out of work, aud the mother had to go out washing. Another ease which Dr. Platts-Mills'quoted ".'as that of a woman who lived in a -mail house with two children. One of tliese (he molher left in the ererte a,l ■lay, while t he too!; the other with lier !o her daily work. The speaker had \i.-silei! her. and found the samcsordid>h-< in her house—no comfort and no

i-iiiivciireiu-f. ]? or this "homo.*' she pud '] s ; ' we--';. Xrxt door was the tunc ' *i;v »f lhiu.e. and the same sordid ton dilions. willi (hi. addition of a hrokm il;'«M with a boil.T -,mi 1 '"T l ' f!| 'ii n pi'f.-rerviiig pan. Vm ihis w;..; aAinsr l:),-a v. irk 11:'. I'l If—Ail]'- "id Sl:,. ,•:,„!,! ,„„ Mian- oi! ; i-< v-nple-i. 'Tlvre in '\\<iK for ii- i.i ' i." <di« nv. I. -.1..-! , , * of it. and '' i:- .vii ■: .-,-!, • i , , this. Ihat ei.' rt, ill :!::■ pan be best organised and bear (ho wo f 1 fruit.''