AN OVERCROWDED HOUSE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 250, 19 October 1908, Page 5

AN OVERCROWDED HOUSE.

TJTTTRR FROM DR. PURDY. HOSPITAL BOARD DISCUSSION. . A letter was received by the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board this afternoon from Dr. J. S. Pufdyj district health. ojScer, who stated that a woman, residing iir Beresford-street had contracted phthisis. At. present she, her husband, and two children occupied one room. It might interest the Board to know that the rent for this one room was 10/- a week, with use of kitchen, 2/- for fuel, and 6d per week for light. This was only one instance of many where one ■ house was sublet to three or more parties. In this case* in a seven-roomed house—rent 18/- a.week —there were this married couple with two children, the landlady with three children, her sister, another married couple, and a lodger. Last week there were three other lodgers, giving a total population of 15 in five sleeping rooms. the weekly earnings for the family with the consumptive mother were 15/. The other married couple paid 10/ for a room. He had drawn, attention to the advisability of having regulations for boardinghouses, but owing to lack of other suitable accommodation, and to prevent sub-letting, he had refrained from condemning such places. It mifh-t relieve the congestion if the Board adopted Mr. Bagnall's suggestion of building tenement houses, and the Mayor had told him that if he could get others to join I him he would be willing to initiate such a scheme. Mr. Bagnall thought the matter a serious one, and one that a conference should be held upon. When the scheme was brought forward he had not considered this scheme would be suitable for the worst eases found in the city. It stemed to him that they might erect ■>ufldings which would be available for :eople who could only pay a small rent. Che rents they paid as a board someimes well repaid the landlords for the iinount of accommodation. The man rho sublet a house in the way mentionkl must be making a large profit. Mr Coyle, in seconding the motion, isked why the Health Department did lot see to the house. He thought they should haro something done x> obtain fair rentals. Some of the rentils in Auckland were scandalous. They could put questions- to Parliamentary landidates on the subject. For a working man to pay 17/ or 18/ was ridjeTilous. A four-roomed house was let £he other lay for 14/8. i Mr Knight said they should be certain what their functions were as a Board. It was the City Council's duty to see that individuals were healthy under certain conditions, and that the boardinghouse regulations were observed. On the motion of Mr Bagnall. it was decided to refer the matter to a committee before moving for a conference.