WORKMEN'S TOWNS—ARE THEY DESIRABLE ?

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 55, 7 March 1899, Page 2

WORKMEN'S TOWNS—ARE THEY DESIRABLE ?

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—The following remarks on Workmen's Towns' have been written for some time, and are part of a pamphlet I a.m preparing for the press. Mr Bollard lias, however.brought the subject prominently before the public, and as it is possible the objections to these towns may have escaped his notice, I shall be glad if you will find space for them in your columns.

Homes for our workers has been my cry for many a long year, and I am glad to see others taking it up. If judiciously worked it will have a most beneficial effect; but it is a subject that requires to be most carefully and thoughtfully dealt, with. It involves a great deal more than appears on the surface. If we are hot careful we shall do the workers greatly more harm than good.

The present idea among our politicians seems to be that the Government should purchase blocks of land along our railway lines and lay out 'workmen's towns' and run to and from them 'workmen's trains.' This means that the allotments in these towns must be reserved) for 'workmen,' and, in the first instance, at any rate, would be purchaseable only by them. Would this be an advantage to the workers? I think not. Have not class distinctions been the curse of the world? Why then, should we deliberately pass an Act of Parliament and use our railways for the purpose of creating them. I protest against this scheme altogether as being vicious in every respect. Towns composed only of working artisans must necessarily not only be poor towns, but they would always be considered, and would, in fact, be inferior towns, and there would certainly be a class distinction fastened upon their inhabitants. A girl is born in one of these workmen's towns, she grows up and exhibits superior abilities, and tries to make her wsy. Where does she come from? is asked. •Oh, from that poor little working men's town Eightbob." Does it help her? Again, I ask, why should we deliberately create these class distinctions? What we. want is social intercourse, not social isolation. We want a system that-will intermingle rich and poor as much as possible—a system that will bring them frequently into contact with each other; a system that will make them mutually acquainted with each other's wants.<-' and requirements. ' The more we do this the sooner we shall learn that there is much of good in every class; and the more we shall esteem each other; but if we deliberately assign one district to one class, and another to another, what can be the result but separation of Interests, hostile classes, jealousies, heartburnings. I can scarcely imagine a worse social movement than designedly creating poor districts, which is what these workmen's towns must mean.

We want also to place our work-people in positions where any property they may acquire will increase in value; the more their property improves the better it will be for the State; but how could holdings in districts inhabited by the poorer classes only improve in value? They would not. The better class workmen—all those able to rise—would soon desert them, and they would become the haunts of the idle and the vicious—mere slums.

What we want is to enable workmen, as well as other people, to select homes in any locality best suited for their requirements, and I say that the introduction of the Stage System of railway 'administration would do this. Take Auckland, again, as an illustration, and in the first seven mile stage round the city—Penrose to Mount Albert—there are ten districts, over which the transit charges would be exactly the same, and in the 15 mile circuit, 19 districts. Certain it is that many landowners will be only too glad to sell and that numerous townships would be

laid out, and" plenty of cheap land be available for all classes in every direction- but this does not suit the 'Great Liberal Party* at all. It would render the working man far too independent, and make him too much like his better off neighbours, so he must be kept in •» district by himself. One of the chief objections to these workmen's towns is that they would be the special hunting grounds of the political demagogues. Here they could create imaginary class grievances and prate about the poor injured working man to their heart's content. If the working classes could only be herded together in distinct districts it would be so much easier to manipulate their votes. ! Other objections might be urged, as, for instance, the fact that these poor towns would create poor districts; they would depreciate the value of all the surrounding properties; in fact create an East End and a West End. We do not want this in our colonial towns.-I am, I etc" SAMUEL VAILE. Auckland, 6th March, 1899.