ENGLAND'S "ALSATIAS OF SQUALOR."

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 153, 27 June 1908, Page 11

ENGLAND'S "ALSATIAS OF SQUALOR."

"".'■"■;(From"bur Special vCorreenoriderit.) ■:.-. : ;, : ,■- LONDON. May 18. Even the liberal!. Party are beginning to admit that constructive 1 statesmen- , ship is not exactly: Mr : John BurnsV . strong point." ' His new-Town Planning , Bill, which came up for its second «*d- ' . ing this week, is '-'a. confused arid, un-_ \. weildymeasireV■which Witt want;a Tot • of before it is ■workable;:■ •The; Government's critics, took the opportunity to rub in some telling ■■>■■ criticisms of the bill's -defecte. s;Xh# ; chtef difficulty about the bill is what a lot of it means \\. Mr Walter ■;'.-...: Long, who -ought , to know something.,." : about the question, confessed ;■.that" it ■ v gaye r him a headache , to read; it; and * 1 Sir John Dickson-Poynder, whose knowledge of rural /housing is unrivalled, feared that it would be! imposeible-for •, any urban or rural district, couiicil to make either head or tail of soirie of the clauses. '■■'■ [ The-reasonfor: this ie that the bfll makes a bewUdering number of references to former -\ Acts, referencee which are intelligible to a Xocal Government Board official, with an encyclopaedic knowledge .of acts already ; 'passed on housing, but baffling to -the ,;- ; layman. The House, which looks for a plain statement' of the machinery: of * billy-was confused' and irritated by ponderous clauses which proposed to legislate: by reference. - :. , Mr Burns moved the.second reading io a speech"that .'.■■iwa.s.Afnlly'ibf-i.irheforiis,..... whereas what -the ! House 'Wanted was>; explanation. He:? told them the bill aimed at making ?the home healthyi the houie beantiftil,: the town pleasant, the city dignified, and,..the suburb salubnbus.? Very pretty, eaid hie critics, but tell us how? The bfll;replietl the ;.-:■,,. Preeident :of 7 the Government _? Board, is meant "fiS .abolish, reconstruct, and prevent the slum, to ; efface.the.ghet- r tos of meannese, and the -AUjatias Vpf -• ; squalor.": -;Then he: proceeded to, quote from and Pope: and Longfellow, and .other -interesting: writere,;.:lmt...-..'._ hie the intricate machuiery of : the left; theKllbuee. almost : as much in the dark as-before..-...:.: "". I Wiik th>: of v the biU, :nidßt : pebple/iwai: be>in ; \Thilrtyflve per cent, of Britain's popuhition. are living in towns having >a population ot over 100,000, and the extent of slum areas ia appalling. The condition in , " the country vflligee;ie'relatively,no'.-b^lt---"•": ter. Of 4000,~ cottages in: over 70;vil-; lages, 60 per cent, have no fireplaces, and the i-H» ■ disgustingj an*: • would be intolerable the ;ppori,leßS : docile and hnmUe. ;toottages are Very , scarce all owr the /country.. rural areaa; Si arei deflcrent'in/cottagesi. ; "What this nteana in' overcrowding and hardship may be. imagined. -, The town-. ' plinming part of the bill proposes -.toi •-_;■ enable a local: authority to make a scheme regarding any land likely to be - -"um4 'fftf' VMiilHmg pprpoweg- ilf'the att- . ttbrity''failß ite t make .schemes Jvfor. the purchase .and: Jaying-out.:of oftvir --.-" oußly necesatry, for -'thei development, pta" town,, the Local Government iljeard. may"Jetejp -lin' and, ~<ill V ' upon. draw - :i^?,Wi«Bßi^:'.'-;»sdi :^'ni."', cMiplt-f-.. '. of its ■ doing so, may; draw up. euhemes jteelf. /.The ..Local Bpiard looms ■'.•;eqiiiilly::.la^..riav-'flie."'!--l>eeß iß ß. ' " Bchemee, wifli a rod for the local authorities who refuse to; dp their . duty in the! improvement .pr : demolitibqu of elum property. The ideal aimed at is the reeenstruction! of alum 1 attd the building of new urban areae on th> moM-of BournvUle and.Port Bonlight. : Mr-Burne appealed tothe Hotee i< to- treat the. bfll in ;fcnon-party spirit, and hit appeal met "with a fair reapo—e, : though •ereral ardent •orfal- jwfoieee declared tiat the bill did not go fax enoueh. •_:■■■• - ■.■■•,. v-:.:■-■■-;' : -"."-:'. : .'j <■•■'■■■-■• Thai was the opintea of the Laboar Party, as Tomd by Mr Jowett, toe 9*i* voiced member for West Bradford. ,-rOm he eaid, "win not tooth vitally thto problem of housing in the large town*. , " Be •bjected4» Jae aeeunmtipn that «» -Local .aorernment; Board «v *?the: .ptt>; :cial reformer, ttt pu:e-xnak«r, so to speak, that is to lead the locality. What is this Local Government Boazdl; . its Jtear/J erie 4, :■ the Labour members. "It-is one of ■ pbetrnetioiii" ■'■■. Onee 1 ; mope the Labour 'i -members chipered; /'lhere ia plenty.-'el'?. work for the Local GoyerJwiieifrlßo»xd.r; "Hear, -hear,?: said. Mrlßunm.. ::"Aai<t.should like to see it doing it," retorte* : '■Mt'.-JawitL'.''.S : - .■ ..,■"'u:Z: : .'■ The most. '.gamagmgr::wTWriim:'!eajna from Sir John 3>ickßon-Poynder, ta* on housing. He expressed general approval of the "priiwiples, but criticised the bill Jn He spoke? of ith«> . vincbherence of the measure..". "i defy.: any tetrictTc6tniciß6r'.:or -any unfortu- : nate: derklpf. district;^^cjMJncilV to; make •, head or tail of some. of the important clanaes." He described the housing pro* visions as comprising its weakest -part. "I would suggest that the right -hon.:, gentleman spend his vacation next time .in. a rural of 7 1 England, and deny himself the pleasure pf a .trip to Germany." ''"* : "