SLUMS AND DISEASE.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 December 1918, Page 7

SLUMS AND DISEASE.

■WHAT THE EPIDEMIC HAS SHOWN.

TOWN PLANNERS' PREPARING

CAMPAIGN.

The sordid conditions of glum life in Auckland and Wellington, and also to a certain extent in Christchurch, which the influenza epidemic has bpcn the moans of disclosing, have fortified immeasurably the arguments of tltie town planners, and , they intend to hit the iron while it is hot, and press their campaign to a successful conclusion. One of their leading spirits is Mr. S. Hurst Seager, of Christcliurch, who represented New Zealand at the recent town planning conference held in Brisbane. He lias now, at the request of the Minister of Internal Affairs, prepared a report regarding the work of the conference, and this, fully illustrated, is being published as a parliamentary paper, and will be resented to the House this session.

Speaking to a Press representative, Mr. Hurst. Seager said the question of housing the workers, which was now creating attention as a result of the epidemic, was very fully considered at the Brisbane conference, and it was held by a. large majority of th» delegates that of all the activities of town planning the getting rid of alums and the housing of workers demanded most urgent attention. The great industrial unrest which existed to-day was one of the results of fearfully bad housing. In all those places where betterment of homes had been carried out, and garden cities created, the lives of the workers had been made happy and bright, their work had become much more efficient, and unrest ceased to exist.

A chapter in Mr. Hurst Seager's report to the Minister of Internal Affairs is devoted to the housing of workers, under the title of '"lndustrial Garden Villages and Cities," for it is by this title that the grouping together of scientific and convenient homes in beautiful surroundings is known. A gTeat work which was before every city in the world, and which was being undertaken in many old-world cities, waa the sweeping away of slum areas and building healthy homos in their place. It had been' found wherever this was done that there was an immediate improvement in the health of the people, an immediate improvement in their efficiency, and a diminution of crime. At Liver-

pool careful statistics bad been kept by an inspector of police of the health and crimes of over 3000 people in a slum area, and also a record of their beliaviour when they were removed to better homes and environments, and this record was extremely remarkable. In many cases-drunkenness and assault cases almost entirely disappeared, giving proof to the belief of town-planning that town-planning was a material foundation of nation-building. Mr. Hurst Seager has been asked, as a result of his work in Brisbane, to undertake a tour of the Dominion, giving lectures on town planning, and urging on the municipalities the vital necessity of sweeping away the slum areas, and of developing auch districts on the lines of garden cities, which have proved so successful elsewhere. This tour had, of course, to be postponed on account of the epidemic, but as Boon as things are normal it will be undertaken, and Mr. Hurst Seager feels certain that out of the present grave affliction under which the Dominion is suffering, a great amount of good will come, for people now realise, as they never realised before, the appalling conditions under which a very great number of our workers have to live. The first lecture of Mr. Hurst Seager's tour will be given in Christchurch as soon as possible, and he hopes that he and his confreres will be successful in founding iu every city a powerful town planning organisation, embracing all departments of municipal activity, in order to help' the municipal councils in the betterment of workers' homes and the creation of move beautiI ful cities.

Mr. Hurst Seager has been asked by the Coal Mining Commission to report to them on the best methods of housing the miners. He has already, reported on the general principles which should be followed, and he has been asked to visit the coal mining district in order that he miglht. advise the Commission how these principles might be carried but in each coal mining centre. This work will have to be postponed until things return to normal.