83

H.—44a

a rough piece of iron over the doorway; (11 and 12) two of tin- better class of miners' huts at Blackball.) Roa (45) is situated a few miles from Blackball. All the houses are owned by the Paparoa Company. Complaint was made by the workers that they are often overcrowded- two or three men occupying a hut with accommodation fit for one man only- and that the water-supply and drainagesystem are bad. More houses are required for married workers. The company claims that it is willing to do all possible to supply the miners with proper homes, but had been greatly handicapped owing to the dearth of labour. The huts built by this company compare very favourably indeed with the huts erected at Blackball, as the windows are made to open, and the huts are provided with tanks, cupboards, and brick fireplaces. The rent of Is. a week is very reasonable. Mr. Hurst Seagor considers that Boa should be regarded as a suburb of Blackball, and should be developed on garden-suburb lines. Reefion (1,523). Large adjacent areas have been taken up as coal-mining fields a few miles from Recfton, and here undoubtedly a small garden city should at once be planned and carried out as necessity demands. Waimangaroa (287) is seven miles north of Westport by rail, and is situated at the loot of the ranges upon which Denniston is built. Its value as a mining township is heavily discounted by the long and difficult route to the nearest mines, though there is a supply of suitable land to extend the township if required. The houses generally are very good and, despite the long travelling-distance, are occupied mostly by miners. Denniston (702) is situated upon a hilltop, and is reached by rail journey of ten miles from Westport to Waimangaroa, and from the latter place by motor vehicle over a well-formed road, which winds up and up for seven miles to a height of 2,000 ft. The fare from Westport to Denniston and Burnett's Face beyond averages about 15s. for the return trip. Mr. Hurst Seager considers that the present positions of the houses both at Denniston itself and at Burnett's Face are unsuitable, whilst flic houses generally are extremely bad. It would be better to disregard these and to form a model village on the plateau which lies half a mile from Denniston towards Burnett's Face (526). The opinion expressed by the managers and union representatives is that this position would be quite satisfactory. It is a rocky knoll, and there would be but little chance of any growth ; but, as the trolly-way for the coal passes right over this plateau, it would be a more or less easy matter to bring up enough soil to make a small patch of garden for each house. The houses should be built of concrete, as the sandstone on the spot could be easily broken up with a stone-crusher to form the matrix, or an experiment might be made to use the stone itself to build the houses ; but without further examination Mr. Seager cannot state whether the stone would be sufficiently durable, though it would certainly be quite suitable for use as broken metal for concrete. There are at present at Waimangaroa, Denniston, and Burnett's Face 371 houses and a population of about J, 500 people. If the village was planned for, say, 200 houses on the plateau at Denniston and 100 of these were erected at once the conditions of housing should then be satisfactory. (See photographs in the Appendix to this report showing (13) Plateau between Denniston and Burnett's Face on which it is suggested a township should be formed ; (14) general view of Denniston; (15) some of the cottages erected by the mining company and sold to the workmen; (16 and 17) collection of huts and shacks on the western face of Denniston Hill ; (18) road above the western face loading towards the plateau ; (19) camp to the north of Denniston ; (20) looking down on the camp ; (2.1.) nearer view of the western face seen in general view No. 14 ; (22) general view of Burnett's Face ; (23) collection of huts and houses at Burnett's Face ; (24) typical hut at Burnett's Face ; (25) Burnett's Face —some of the homes.) Granity (667) and Millerlon (843). -Granity is seventeen miles north of Westport by rail. Like Waimangaroa, it is situated on the sea-coast, and Millerton lies on the hilltop three miles away and 2,000 ft. up. There is no further land available for housing at Granity, but at Millerton, which is favourably situated, an attractive township could be formed. (See photographs in the Appendix to this report showing- -(26) Bird's-eye view of Millerton ; (27) house at the side of incline, Millerton.) Ngakawau (157). —This village is beyond Granity and about twenty miles by rail from Wostpori. Several Stockton miners reside here, though they have to spend about two hours in travelling to their working-places. It would be far better, in the Board's view, if a township could be formed on the hill at Stockton (.101), where a few houses have already been built by the company. A road is beingformed from Stockton to Millerton on the Westport Company's lease, so that there may b<; easy access from Granity to Stockton. As the Stockton mines are connected with Stockton village by an electric tram, it would be an easy matter for the miners to be carried to and from their work to the village. This village at Stockton should be properly planned for about a hundred houses, which should be erected as required. The population of Stockton is now about one hundred and fifty. The Westport-Stockton Company has built six four-roomed and two three-roomed houses of a good type. Mr. Seager considers that there is a suitable place at Stockton for forming a model township, including a perfectly flat basin of about 4 acres, which is being reserved as a recreation-ground. There is ample room for many houses on this spot and also on the slightly rounded formation a few chains distant. The houses erected by the company are being sold to the miners, who are paying off the capital cost at the rate of LO3. per week. (See photographs in the Appendix to this report showing—(2B) Homes erected by the company at Stockton, costing £205 each ; (29) well-kept home; at Stockton ; (30) general view of Stockton.)