HIGH RENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 April 1917, Page 2

HIGH RENTS.

"SHACKS" AT TRENTHAM NINE FAMILIES LIVE IN ONE HOUSE. (Wellftigton Times) A year or two ago the land in the vicinity of Trentham railway station was being utilised as a dairy farm. The person in occupation was understood to bo "sitting" on the property and when called upon to show a title was unable to do so. Later the Crown Lands Department became interested with tn* result that the land reverted to the Crown, and some time afterwards it was offered for sale in sections. A few were taken up, and presently a building or two made an appearance, but it was not until the military camp was remodelled and ( put in an efficient and up-to-date state that it hecame apparent that house accommodation for staff officers and their families would be a necessity. A few enterprising persons who were alive to the possibilities grasped the opportunities that presented themselves; bought sections and erected cottages thereon. Some of these cottages are of pleasing design, although small, and almost before the foundations were completed prospective tenants were forthcoming. A rent of from 25s to 30s per week was asked and given willingly, and as the demand for buildings became more and more pronounced, carpenters were soon busy turning anything in the shape of a shed into a pluce of residence. The demand still grew until to-day it cannot be satisfied. Building is going on and •so the by-laws governing the size of the rooms, height of the- Btuds, etc., are not so stringent as is the case in a city or borough, overcrowding and the erection of "shacks" is not uncommon. OVERCROWDING

Yesterday a Times reporter made a few more inquiries respecting rents and overcrowding in some of these so-called houses. ■ He was assured that in one house, close to the main road, and distant about half a mile from the camp entrance, eight families resided beside* the owner and his family. The kitehen was in common use by all the inhabitants, and as much as 25s per week was being paid for two rooms. Fortunately 'the. house in question has abundant ground Burroundmg it. /'"See that building?" asked a staff of'ficer in the camp, pointing to what looked like & small shed. "Well, it was built to accommodate fowls, hut I do not think it was used for that, purpose. It was touched up a bit and is now let as a residence." The occupants of the building were absent when the place was visited, so tho particulars as to rent could not be ascertained'. In another instance a shed that was built to servo as a washhouse to a small cottage was converted into a dwelling and found a tenant almost at once.

PURCHASED THEffi HOME. At the back of a whare a woman was discovered by a reporter busily chopping wood. Upon being asked what rent was paid for the premises she replied that the person who built it refused to let it, and her husband, who is employed at the camp, purchased tho whare at the price put upon it, being thankful to be able to do so. The water supply for all purposes is dependent upon the rainfall, and during the dry weather most of the tanks have been empty. In order to obtain an option over two cottageß, the owner insisted upon the tenants paying £lO down and signing an agreement to pay ISs per week for a stated period. It was it case of accede to the request or go houseless, and the money was forthcoming. The cottages in question have each two rooms, and they are certainly worth tho rental paid in comparison with some of the sheds that do duty as dwellings within a 'radius of two miles of Trentham :£1 A WEEK SHEDS. ■ Users of the road between Trentham and Wallaceville have, no doubt, noticed several small sheds not far from the road, but few would suspect that each contained a family. Such is the case, however, and the rent for each shed is stated to be £1 per wok. TJiese particular sheds are by no means isolated cases of high rents, but the buildings that do duty for dwellings are so scattered over the landscape that it would take a day or twa to make a thorougn examination.

The sanitary'facilities in the majority of instances in and around Trentham are of the most primitive nature. Of course there is no drainage scheme in vogue dr contemplated, and it could not possibly be expected in a district such as Trentham with its present civil popuJa ; tion. Septic tanks are rare in the district, and there is no 'sanitary service, Svith the exception of that performed by the occupier of each dwelling. This is not considered a satisfactory state of things, and in view of the care taken to keep the soldiers in camp as free from disease as medical science is able, it is urged that a thorough i investigation should bo made as to the conditions that I obtain outside the camp.