CITY SLUMS.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 116, 17 May 1924, Page 14

CITY SLUMS.

NEW YORK WORSE THAN LONDON. <From Our Own Correspondent) LONDON, April 29. "The London slum evil has been exaggerated," said Mr. F. T. Hickford, of Melbourne, who is visiting London after a tour of America and the Continent. "It is not so bad as in New York, but it is an inevitable accompaniment of crowded cities as they grow older, owing partly to the increase of unemployables. We will have it in Melbourne and Sydney within 300 years."' Mr. Hickford made an extensive tour in Italy. He was present at the handing over of the Doge's Palace in Venice to the municipality by the Ministry. He was struck by the desolation of the English cemetery in Rome, in which are the graves of Keats, Shelley and Severn. He witnessed a Fascist demonstration in Rome "The Fascists," he says, "undoubtedly dominate Italy, though in the elections they contested only 179 seats, the remainder being secure. An instance of the high-handedness of the Fascist was a savage attack on a professor and his son, who had expressed antagonistic opinions. It was worse than the similar case of the Italian contributor to the 'Westminster Gazette,' whom the Fascisti roughly handled because of the opinions ho expressed. "I do not think Signor Mussolini, though he served a turn in organising a united Italy, will last. Neither he nor the Fascisti are allowing any opinions but their own. They are not brooking opposition, which is completely overwhelmed by terror and intimidation. This cannot"persist. There is bound to be a reaction." Mr. Hickford was delighted with a wee gum tree and wattle tree at the entrance to Pompeii. He came to England via the Italian Lakes, Switzerland, Paris and the Homme battlefields. He slept in Mr. Pickwick's room at Ipswich, and ascertained that an ancestor, Henry Hickford, a merchant, was buried at Cancel Church. Saint Mary-le-Bow, in 10")9. He had presented a emmunion plate to the church. Mr. Hickford will attend the Grand Lodge of Freemasons' installation of the Duke of Connaught, and will return to Australia in September.