The Daily News. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1918. A CALL FOR DRASTIC ACTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 November 1918, Page 4

The Daily News. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1918. A CALL FOR DRASTIC ACTION.

The present epidemic is not without some benefit, for it is impressing upon people's minds, as nothing else lias ever (lone, the necessity for rooting out unrieanliuess and tilth in all fts forms, the advantage of ventilation, and tiie need for hygiene at all times and in all places. Only during the past week or so have the public been brought closely in contact with thu conditions existing in many of the homos iu the cities arid towns, and t'nera has been a very rude awakening. Pot/ realised that in New Zealand there was so much .squalor, so mucli pestilential filth, so much overcrowding, so much ignorance of the elementary k,W3 of health and the principles of cleanliness and sanitation. Now that we have been brought face to face with these deplorable conditions we must deal with them drastically and promptly. This canker, the existence of which was not hitherto suspected, must be taken out by the roots, and the people instructed in the observation of the common decencies of life and of the laws of hygiene. The community must take action if for no other reason than for selfproteetion, for tho epidemic has proved that if but a tew houses ara insanitary they can pollute tho whole town, and causa groat suffering and loss. The present laws do not go far enough, not by a long way. Private houses cannot b;; entered by a health or sanitary inspector, nor apartment houses. Hotels and boarding houses come yvitliin the tnspeetor'u range, and ara mostly maintained in r, sanitary condition. Investigation has revealed deplorable conditions to exist in :ome o? the apartment houses, which should hz vigorously and regularly inspected, and tho hideous overcrowding—and with it insanitary conditions of living—that now goes 011 be stopped. As for tho private houses, the conditions in some cases, even in New Plymouth, have been found to bo as bad as in some of the slum areas of Auckland. To improve this condition of things, no doubt, presents difficulties, but they are not insuperable. It is clear that the Government must act at once in making provision for tho erection of houses for the poorer classes, or else give municipalities wider powers. Many of the present habitations are disgracefully insanitary and dilapidated, and should be pulled down without delay. Until other accommodation is found for the tenants, however, this is out of the question. This 13 .a very important and urgent matter that strikes at the root of the trouble, and should be faced immediately. It is true that there are people who would make an Augean stable of any house, for they have no ideas of cleanliness, order ov hygiene. Again, there is appalling ignorance of these essential matters among a certain class. Now, instruction must' be given to the 33 people.. As a Salvation Army officer said to an Auckland paper the other day: "Women* should be appointed to actually go into the homes, to talk to the wives in a kindly, simple Way, and to impress upon them the need for personal cleanliness for their own Bakes, and that of their children. It is not always wilful disregard, but woeful ignorance, that is partly responsible for tho conditions under which so many have lately been found living." The extraordinary thriftlessness of many of the working class has been another revelation to the workers in Auckland. It is dji absolute fact (the local Herald says) that in numbers of homes women have been found lying in bed covered only with sacks and rago, while on the walls have been nanging most expensive finery and stylish outer garments. The love of tawdry finely has overcome all sense of the fitness of things; working girls have been carried away to hospitals, and it nas been found that their wardrobe consisted of showy outer wear, witiiout one nigfit-dress in the whole outfit. This Btale of things again points incst urgently to tho need for some kind of thrift campaign which will reach to all classes of workers Most of the poorer people in these slum areas are quite wiling to improve their conditions if only given the chance. It is not fair to condemn them for circumstances they are Unable to control. Where there is dirt and defilement without it is doubly hard to keep either physically or morally clean within. An Auckland worker said it was nothing less than pathetic to see ti:e willingness w:th wnich many poor Wonie:i carry out the advice and instructions given them. ■'When we first find thm thoy are often in great distress. Ignorance and fear hold thorn in fetters; When workers come, and tell them how t>i aec, they show the greatest eagerness to follow out their advice." As soon a ' the epidemic is over—and fortunately there is evidence that it is being got Under, thanks to tiie splendid organised l work of the various communities—-we must immediately concentrate our attention upon the improvement of the conditions mentioned, and not rest content until practical measures are evolved and Under way of attainment It is an imperative duty. Apart from the advantage to the nation of having a tit, licUthy and contented working class, it i? absolutely necessary in the interest of the common health of the community that drastic action be taken, for the observance of sanitation and hygiene of a whole community goes for nothing if within its borders there are only one or two festering spots—breeding grounds for the disease germs that are now taking such heavy toll of the people.